Lady in Red
by rckyfrk
Summary: Bethyl AU It's finally the big day, Maggie and Glenn's wedding day. Beth is maid of honor, Daryl is the best man. What could happen next? Knowing these two, all kinds of fluffy sweetness.
1. Red

**I decided I didn't like how this chapter first came out. Well, I did when I first wrote it – it was ****_supposed_**** to be a one-shot, but now, two years later, has taken on a life of its own and has even spawned a side-by-side story, ****_Man in Black_****, which you can read one after another or simultaneously. Anyway, when I first posted this, it showed both Beth and Daryl's POVs, but now that the other story is an actual thing now, I needed to go back and make these first two chapters strictly from Beth's POV. **

The day had finally arrived. After what felt like years of planning, Maggie and Glenn were at long last going to tie the knot. Beth couldn't be happier for her older sister.

The farmhouse was a flurry of commotion as the caterers prepped the food, musicians tuned their instruments, florists and decorators set and adorned the guest tables under the tent in the spacious backyard with beautiful displays of daisies, gladiolas and tulips.

Annette was fussing over Hershel's tuxedo, making sure everything was just so, straightening his tie and making sure his boutonnière was firmly attached to his lapel. Beth turned her attention to Maggie, setting her hair in delicate curls, double checking her make-up, fluffing her dress. When she was satisfied that her sister looked as perfect as could be, she double checked in the mirror at herself, straightening her dress and readjusting her necklace.

Sasha walked in the large bedroom carrying the bouquets for all the girls to carry. She was wearing a dress the same ruby shade of red as Beth's, but a different style to accentuate her long legs. Beth felt the tiniest pang of jealousy toward her. She felt so short, so underdeveloped…like a little kid playing dress up to try to fit in with the big girls.

She shook the unpleasant thoughts away, focusing on the bittersweet happiness of the day. This was a huge step for Maggie, and Beth was overjoyed for her, though a part of her didn't want her big sister to go. She thought of how happy Maggie was with Glenn, how wonderful they always were together. She wasn't losing Maggie at all, and she knew that, but she also knew their relationship would be forever changed.

Carol knocked on the door before entering the bedroom and announced, "It's time! Let's get this wedding underway!" A thrill of excitement filled the room as they all hugged one last time before heading downstairs.

Sasha went down first and met Rick at the bottom of the steps. He offered his arm to her and led her out to the side of the house where the ceremony was to take place. Beth followed shortly after, taking her time down the stairs, never taking her eyes off her feet for fear of falling. When she finally made it to the bottom, she raised her eyes to meet Daryl, who looked absolutely gorgeous in his tux. She noticed his hair, which was usually disheveled at best, was neatly combed back, allowing all of his handsome face to show. "Wow…" she whispered. She'd meant for the comment to stay safe in her head, and blushed furiously when she heard it actually voiced.

Daryl chuckled as he offered his arm to her. _Great,_ she thought. _He heard that. Way to go. _It would be one thing if he was just some guy Glenn knew, but Beth had met Daryl quite a few times when a big group had gotten together. They hadn't talked much, but they were at least friendly with each other. She always thought he was attractive, but really quiet; she rarely heard him string more than a handful of words together at a time. She just knew he'd never want her, a flat-chested little thing, not even out of college yet. Still, it was nice to stand here with him, slipping her arm though his, and what's more, she'd have pictures to remember the day she got to walk around with Daryl Dixon as if they were an actual couple.

As they walked outside, Beth stammered, "I…um…I just meant…you look really nice. I've never seen you so spiffed up."

Daryl smirked down at her. "Yeah, working in the garage doesn't really lend itself to this fancy attire." His voice took on a mockingly pretentious accent. "Besides, grease stains are a bitch to get out of the silk tie."

She giggled at that, and felt a rush when she saw his smirk grow into a full on smile. There was an odd look in his eyes, but she chalked it up to him just thinking she was some giggly thing who would laugh at anything. If only he knew that she reserved her true laughs, like the one she'd just given him, for things that she really enjoyed...and she really enjoyed being with Daryl.

They finally made it outside, to the end of the aisle, catching up with Sasha and Rick. Annette and Hershel joined them; Maggie waited inside for her grand entrance. Carol gave the signal and the musicians started playing the processional music. Hershel and Annette walked down the aisle first, smiling and waving at their guests as they passed. Once they were in their seats, Sasha and Rick stepped down the aisle.

Beth squeezed Daryl's arm slightly, trying desperately not to react to the muscles she felt beneath her fingers. He looked down at her. "Ready?" he asked gently. She could only nod as he led them down to join the other attendants. As they reached the end of the aisle, Beth felt Daryl lightly squeeze her hand. She looked up at him; the look on his face was undiscernible. She could only smile at him as they split off to the opposite sides of the small altar.

The musicians modulated into Maggie's entrance music and the crowd rose to their feet and turned to watch her slowly walk down the aisle. She was nothing but smiles as her gaze focused on Glenn waiting at the altar for her.

The ceremony itself flew by in a blur. She vaguely remembered the minister asking for a moment of silence to remember those who had gone before them – for her brother Shawn, for Glenn's parents, for Maggie's mother. Before Beth knew it, the minister was pronouncing her sister and Glenn as husband and wife, allowing the groom to kiss the bride. Glenn laughed, "Finally," before planting a kiss on his wife.

The guests erupted in applause. Beth couldn't contain the laughter that had bubbled up inside her as she clapped. The musicians started playing Mendelssohn's Wedding March and Mr. and Mrs. Rhee all but ran down the aisle, hand in hand.

Beth moved to the center of the aisle, meeting Daryl once again, and slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. He guided her back toward the house, releasing her to hug her sister as he heartily shook hands with Glenn in congratulations. They were soon met by Sasha and Rick, then Beth's parents, until there was a flood of guests seeking to wish good luck and congratulations on the newlyweds before heading to the tent in the back yard.

The wedding party took their places at the head table. Once everyone was seated, the toasts began. Beth stood nervously, hoping her voice would carry. Even with the help of the microphone and sound system, her nerves were wreaking havoc on her voice, not to mention her memory. She would hate to embarrass her sister by "umm-ing" her way through her speech. She took a deep breath as she picked up the cordless microphone. She brought it to her mouth to speak, clearing her throat before beginning; she was interrupted by the whine of feedback screeching through the speakers.

Beth couldn't stop the blush from overtaking her neck and cheeks. Her hands and forehead broke out in a cold sweat and she could feel her knees start to weaken. "Um," she began, silently berating herself, "Hi, everyone. We're all just so glad you could come out here today to support my big sister as she married her best friend. Maggie has always been there for me. She always said she was the only one who got to pick on me, and watch out to anyone else who tried." The crowd chuckled at this, which helped relax Beth's nerves, but only slightly. She smiled as she continued, "And now, I've got a new big brother. Glenn, I could not have picked a more perfect match for my sister. I've seen you bring out the absolute best in each other. Now, before I start getting all mushy and all, I've got a little surprise for the newlyweds. I hope you like it." Beth turned to the DJ and gave him a nod. "Soul Sister" by Train started playing through the speakers. Beth took a deep breath and started singing.

_Here's Glenn Rhee, we were all praying and finally  
>Mags knew that when she met you, she would never let you out of sight.<br>She's such a dream, and she's rarely ever demanding.  
>The day that you collided, together you decided to spend your lives.<br>Hey my sister got herself a mister, he's from Michigan, he's wonderful, and he is Maggie's superman!  
>Hey my sister got herself a mister and they're gonna honeymoon tonight!<em>

_Hey big brother, I couldn't find another who could absolutely perfectly fit right in with our family,_

_Hey my sister got herself a mister so let's toast the bride and groom tonight!_

The crowd applauded loudly as the song ended. Beth raised her champagne glass and said, "To Maggie and Glenn, may you find every happiness in each other." She took a sip of the bubbly liquid and walked behind her sister and brother-in-law to hand the mic to Daryl.

Daryl chuckled nervously into the microphone, "Man, oh man, how the hell am I supposed to follow that? Guess I'm just gonna have to try. I wanna start by sayin that Maggie, you look absolutely beautiful…and Glenn, you don't look so bad yourself. When Glenn asked me to be his best man I had lots of questions, naturally. I started with, 'So who backed out? Is there gonna be an open bar? Just how crazy do you want your bachelor party?'" He paused as the crowd laughed, and Daryl continued, "Don't worry, Glenn. What happens in Atlanta stays in Atlanta. Glenn told me he wanted me up here mainly to increase my chances with the bridesmaids," He looked right at Beth, who immediately started blushing, "so I guess I'm pretty lucky there. He also asked me to keep it under three minutes, so I guess y'all are lucky, too." He raised his glass and faced the couple, and the rest of the guests followed suit. "Glenn, Maggie, it's obvious you two were made for each other. I only hope I find someone who can make me even half as happy as you two are together." He toasted them, then looked straight at Beth before raising his glass once more and bringing it to his lips.

A quick blush flashed over her cheeks when their eyes met over their champagne flutes. _Why on earth does he keep looking at me like that?_ She glanced at his left hand and found his ring finger was bare. Okay, he wasn't married, but surely he had a girlfriend or something. He couldn't be _looking_ at her, could he? She swallowed and mentally shook the thoughts away before she could really dwell on them and focused on enjoying the party.

The reception continued, caterers serving the guests their salads, followed by the main course. Once everyone had finished eating, Maggie and Glenn cut the cake and fed each other, effectively stuffing frosting up each other's noses. Next was their first dance, followed by the couples' dance, where all the couples joined the newlyweds and were weeded out until only the couple who had been married the longest was left dancing.

As the party went on, Beth looked wistfully at the couples swaying back and forth, wishing and praying she would be able to find someone like Maggie had; someone to sweep her off her feet and make her deliriously happy. She tried not to let her face show how bummed she was, wanting to keep a happy smile for her sister.

She suddenly heard a low voice from behind her, "Hey." Beth whirled around and found herself looking up at Daryl. He had removed his jacket, now just wearing his tie, which he had loosened from his collar, and his vest, which emphasized his broad shoulders. "You know it's illegal for the maid of honor to sit alone when she should be dancin'." He held out his hand to her. Beth hesitantly placed her hand in his and followed him to the temporary dance floor set up in the middle of the lawn.

Daryl slid his hands to rest on the small of her back as she placed her hands on his shoulders. They started swaying to Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." Daryl bent his head to murmur in her ear, "Nice job with your speech."

Beth smiled and blushed for what felt like the millionth time today. "Thanks," she mumbled. Lord, what this man did to her nerves. She looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. "You did good, too."

Daryl looked at her skeptically and scoffed, "Yeah…especially after you serenading everyone." He gave her a friendly smirk and chuckled as her blush deepened.

"I'm sorry about that. Didn't mean to one up you," Beth answered. She felt her cheeks warm with blush, sure they were as dark a shade of red as her dress by now.

"Nah, s'alright," Daryl shrugged it off. "You sing real pretty. I, uh…I wouldn't mind hearing you sing again sometime." He paused, just momentarily, then spoke again. "There's a bar in town, has a karaoke night every week. You oughta go. Show off a little."

Beth felt her knees get weak. "R…really?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Why not? I could, ya know, go along with ya. Be yer body guard," he grinned down at her and readjusted his hands on her, pulling her just a little closer.

"A body guard? What kind of bar is this?" she smiled up at him, moving her hands so they were clasped behind his neck. She swallowed again to try and keep herself from grimacing as she felt how sweaty her hands were.

Daryl laughed softly, "Not as bad as what you're thinking. Just don't want a pretty little thing like you getting scared all by herself."

"You think I'm pretty?" Beth asked demurely, grinning up at him.

She thought she saw him blush, but figured it must be the DJ lights creating the effect instead. "Well…yeah…ya know…" he trailed off, and she wondered just what he was getting at.

Feeling suddenly very brave, quite possibly a result of her two whole glasses of champagne (though it was certainly not the only cause of the bubbles in her stomach right now), Beth pulled gently, bringing Daryl's head down next to hers. "You know, if we're being honest, you're pretty darn handsome yourself," she said softly, her lips grazing his ear.

Daryl pulled back suddenly, but Beth kept her arms wound around his neck, holding him close. "It's the suit," he tried to explain.

This time Beth was the one to pull back, to look him directly in the eye. "No, it's not," she said decisively. Daryl cocked an eyebrow at her, like he was trying to decide something about her. Apparently, he had made up his mind.

He jutted his chin out, just slightly, almost testing the waters. His nose came close to brushing against hers. Her breath quickened, but she held her ground, not moving. She briefly wondered when they had stopped dancing, but that question flew from her mind when he pressed his lips to hers.

It was over in no time, lasting only a second, maybe two, but it was long enough for Beth's heart to skip several beats and flutter wildly all at once. He kept the kiss quick and innocent, and pulled away, then looked down at her, gauging her reaction. Beth blinked her eyes up at him, and gently smiled; Daryl grinned widely in return. She pulled him close and rested her cheek on his chest. Daryl held her tightly, lowering his head so his lips were near her ear. Beth could hear him singing, soft and low, "I said my darling, you were wonderful tonight."

**And there we go! Bethyl week prompt #2 - Red. I wasn't going to do a prompt today, but the muse kicked me square in the butt and gave me the ending...I just had to figure out the beginning. **

**Happy Bethyl Week!**


	2. Enchanted

**Bethyl week prompt – Enchanted**

**I know. I know. I said this story would be a one shot. Then Hearts1989 begged and begged me to continue it...and my muse was absolutely stuck for a bunch of these Bethyl Week prompts, mainly because I couldn't help but try and tie them in to this story. So, fine. We'll try it. Call it a two-shot?**

The newlyweds had made their rounds, greeting all of their guests, before the DJ announced that the happy couple was leaving the reception. They rushed off to their getaway car, covered with streamers and soda cans strung from the rear bumper. Beth stood near Daryl as they all waved their goodbyes, giggling uncontrollably. Daryl had told her that he and Rick had hidden a jingle bell in the spare tire compartment. She could just imagine the two of them, driving cross-country, frustrated in trying to find the source of the noise, and the thought only drove her to more giggles.

Daryl looked down at her and grinned. She met his gaze, and she found his expression nearly unreadable. It was as if he was sad and disappointed and angry, yet there was a longing beneath it all. It was that last emotion that had Beth anxious to know just what he was thinking. Her train of thought derailed as the car engine started and her sister and brother-in-law pulled away from the crowd of guests wishing them well.

Eventually the party came to a close. The guests drifted off, heading back home. Beth, Sasha, Daryl and Rick all went inside the house to change into their 'work clothes' as Hershel called them. "No sense in dirtying up your fancy party duds," he had said. Hershel and Annette supervised as the rest of the wedding party started taking down decorations, folding up chairs and tables, tearing everything down but the tent; the crew that had set it up would return the next day to collect it.

They were finishing stacking chairs and tables near the driveway for the rental company to pick up in the morning. The six of them looked at the yard; aside from the still-standing tent and the trampled grass, they could hardly tell that a wedding and reception had taken place here just hours before. Hershel and Annette thanked them for their help and turned to go inside. Rick, Sasha, Daryl and Beth all hugged their goodbyes.

Rick and Sasha walked to their cars while Daryl hung back with Beth on the porch. He leaned against the porch railing as she made herself cozy on the porch swing. Beth focused on the night sky, entranced by the twinkling stars. As much as she was avoiding looking at Daryl again, she could certainly feel his eyes on her.

She couldn't take the silence anymore. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

He jumped at her question, apparently surprised by it. "What's that?"

"Everything about today. How nice everyone looked, the ceremony was beautiful, the weather couldn't have been more wonderful. The reception...everything was just...perfect."

Daryl nodded, but didn't add his own thoughts to the conversation. He had that look of mild anger in his eyes again, and Beth grew more and more curious as to what got him to that point. All she'd done was comment on the day. Had something happened that she didn't know about? Had someone said something to him to upset him?

Had _she _done something to upset him? He'd sat with her after their dance together...and their kiss. Oh...that kiss...

Was that what was bothering him? Was he expecting more from her?

Suddenly she stood up and turned to grab the old blanket that was draped across the porch swing. She just couldn't stand sitting with him almost glaring at her anymore. Still, she didn't want to be rude, and didn't necessarily want him to leave, even if he was in a bad mood for whatever reason. "I don't think I could go to sleep if I tried. I'm gonna go for a walk. Come with me?" She held her hand out to him, as he had done to her earlier that night. He took her hand and followed her down the steps and down the driveway.

She led them down to one of the outer pastures, one that hadn't been used for a while. Beth handed the blanket to Daryl, holding on to two of the corners. "Help me spread it out." He took the other two corners and they opened the large blanket and laid it on the ground. Daryl stood there, awkwardly, as Beth made herself comfortable by sitting on the cool fabric, pulling her knees up to her chest, and looked up at the night sky expanding above them. "I could just stare at them all night," she murmured. She looked up at him expectantly. "Well, aren't you gonna sit down?" she asked, patting the space on the quilt next to her.

She looked back up at the sky, but kept sneaking glances over to him. He looked so unsure of himself, which seemed unusual for him. Beth had always pegged Daryl as being very confident in himself; why did he look so nervous now? Did he really not want to be here? Was he just humoring her, like a little kid? _He's a grown man. If he wants to sit down he will,_ she thought to herself, deciding not to be upset if he chose to stand all night. She wouldn't admit to her heart thudding in relief and anxiety as he finally sat next to her.

Another quiet moment passed while the tension built between the two of them again, and she elected to try and break it. "I love coming out here," she said, now focusing on the inky blackness dotted with shining beams of light. "It's so peaceful, coming out here, where I can just look up and I'm alone with my thoughts and can just...be, ya know?" She looked at him suddenly and hurried to add, a note of apology in her voice, "I mean, I'm happy you're with me." Her eyes widened in alarm, "I mean...not _with _me. I'm just glad you came with me. I...oh,geez, I sound like an idiot, don't I?" Her head sunk until her forehead rested on her knees. Daryl chuckled. 'Great. Now he's laughing at me. At least he's not angry, I suppose.'

"It's okay. I get it. I've got a spot like this, too, where I like just...being."

A wave of relief washed over her when he explained himself. "You do?" she looked up at him, eagerly, glad to be spared of any part of her embarrassment.

"Yeah. There's a pond not far from my old man's house. I used to go there a lot to get away from...everything. Now I just go when I need to think. It's not as quiet as it is here. Lots more frogs," he added, grinning at her.

Beth smiled broadly at him. "It sounds really nice."

Daryl swallowed hard, and looked like he had something he wanted to say, so Beth just waited him out. "Wanna go some time? 'S'only fair...you showed me your spot, I oughta show you mi...OH hell!" he cut himself off, blushing furiously and staring at his shoes. "I'm so sorry, Beth, I didn't mean..."

It was her turn to giggle at his little slip-up. She placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "Daryl. It's okay. I know what you meant." She hoped the moonlight would hide the blush growing across her face. "You sure I wouldn't be intruding or anything?"

He paused again before answering, "No. You wouldn't be intruding. I wouldn't mind havin' someone to share it with," he muttered before staring at his shoes again. She pulled her hand away from his shoulder, and she shifted slightly on the blanket, getting into a more comfortable position. Her arm brushed against his and she felt him tense for just a split second, but then he relaxed, apparently welcoming her touch. Her mind flitted back to their time on the dancefloor, how her heart nearly sang when he kissed her. And he was there with her now, wasn't he? Maybe he didn't find her so annoying after all. Throwing caution to the wind, Beth lowered her head to rest gently on his shoulder; she felt him cross his arm behind her, resting along her back.

She hummed softly, "This is nice." He looked down toward her at the same time she turned her head slightly to face him. His lips were tantalizingly close – so close she could feel his breath against her own lips. She wanted to badly to kiss him, but couldn't bring herself to be so forward. Finally, _finally_, he lowered his head and kissed her. The kiss was sweet, chaste, and ended all too soon. When her eyes fluttered open, he was already looking down at her. She took in his expression; it was as if he were waiting for something, something that made him nervous.

Unable to resist, she reached up and sought his lips again, lingering against him. She moved her lips against his, and felt him move along with her, deepening the kiss, her heart pounding the entire time. He brought his hand to cradle her along her jawline, a gesture she found incredibly romantic. His tongue grazed over her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth, just slightly. The tips of their tongues met fleetingly before they both pulled away. He pressed one last, soft kiss to her lips before pulling back completely and gazed down at her.

She was glad Daryl didn't say anything right away. Her heart was beating so hard, she didn't think she'd have heard his words anyway. After a moment, he said, just above a whisper, "We oughta get you inside. It's pretty late."

Beth pouted slightly; those were definitely not the words she had wanted to hear. "Just a little longer? I don't want to leave y...um...leave yet." Daryl raised an eyebrow at her stutter and grinned before nodding at her, bringing his arm to wrap closer around her, his hand resting on her hip. His thumb traced tiny circles just above her waist as she snuggled closer to him. "You know, Daryl, you can be pretty charming when you wanna be," Beth whispered. As their eyes met again, she didn't know which was shining brighter, the stars above, or the gleam in his eyes as that longing expression crossed his face once more.

**04/07/2015 Edit – In beginning work on Man in Black, the counterpart to this story, I realized this second chapter was almost completely done from Daryl's POV, which just doesn't work with the rest of the story. I've changed everything so it shows Beth's POV. You'll notice that in both stories, the dialogue and their actions will always be identical. **

**Thanks for reading – please leave a review!**


	3. Waiting

**Lady in Red – Chapter 3**

**At long last, I got a chance to work on this bad boy. It would have been up weeks ago...I had chapters three through fourteen outlined and had notes on what I wanted to happen...I even had a couple pages of chapter 3 typed up. Then I went to save it on my flash drive as a back up, but apparently I got my windows mixed up and saved everything the wrong way and ended up saving the old over the new instead of the other way around.**

**So here it is. I hope it was worth the wait. I've got the next several chapters outlined and noted out, so it shouldn't take nearly as long to get back into the swing of things. I've also got a couple unofficial prompts/requests I'd like to get out, plus my Summer of Learning (which started as a prompt request and has since taken on a life of its own...I really need to stop calling things one-shots) which features a certain yummy Mr. Flanery...just sayin'. Anyway, here we go. Enjoy. Don't forget to leave a review!**

Beth and Daryl had stayed out on the blanket for what felt like minutes but could have easily been hours – Beth had completely lost track of any sense of time. As time ticked by, they had laid back on the quilt, gazing straight up into the starry sky. Neither spoke much, both just enjoying the quiet company of each other.

Beth readjusted her arm, accidentally bumping Daryl's hand with her own. She recoiled at first, almost apologizing for the contact, but then, tentatively, brushed the back of her fingers against his, just to test his reaction. Instead of him pulling away like she'd expected him to, his fingers interlaced with Beth's. A thrill shot up her arm as a small smile bloomed on her face. Tempting fate, Beth slipped her finger tips over the back of his hand, over his thumb, and threaded her fingers through his, holding his hand palm to palm. Her smile stretched across her face when he tightened his fingers around hers.

Beth was about to ask him something, but the thought flew out of her mind when something moved out of the corner of her eye. They both pointed upwards as a shooting star streaked across the sky. She turned to face Daryl, finding that he was already looking at her. "Make a wish," she whispered.

"Already done," Daryl replied, his voice low and husky. "You?"

Beth thought for a moment before closing her eyes and scrunching up her face. She sent up a wish to the heavens, making it almost a prayer. She wasn't bold enough to ask or wish for something to happen between her and Daryl. Instead, she just wanted some kind of a sign that this, whatever it was, was more than just for tonight. She blinked her eyes open to find him still watching her. "Me too," she spoke softly.

Another moment passed. "We really should head back to the house," Daryl murmured, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "We stay out here much longer, your old man's likely to come looking for ya."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she sighed heavily.

Daryl sat up, still holding her hand. He lightly squeezed it before releasing his grip, bracing himself to stand up. He straightened his shirt then offered his hands to help Beth up. She grinned and slid her hands into his, noting their warmth despite the cool night air. He pulled her to her feet; she was impressed at his strength, showing no effort in lifting her off the ground.

Beth picked up the blanket and turned to Daryl. "Here, help me fold." Daryl took the two corners she offered him and followed her lead in folding it. She felt her pulse quicken as she stepped toward him to fold the blanket in half, their fingers closing over each other. She blushed slightly at the contact and smiled nervously up at him. "Thanks," she whispered. He merely nodded in acknowledgement and took the quilt from her, silently volunteering to carry it for her.

Side by side, they walked the distance back to the front porch. Once they approached the steps, they turned to face each other. Beth took the blanket from Daryl, hugging it to her chest. "Thanks for staying out with me, Daryl. It was really nice."

Daryl grinned and ducked his head almost bashfully, kicking his foot at an imaginary clump of dirt.

Beth took advantage of his slight awkwardness and pecked him on the cheek. His eyes snapped up to meet hers, wide with surprise. He smirked at her and took a step toward her. He reached up to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear before bending his head low to capture her lips in a kiss.

Daryl gently moved his lips against hers, drawing a soft moan from her. He pulled away before the kiss developed into anything deeper, and Beth almost groaned in disappointment. She leaned forward, trying to maintain contact with him. He chuckled softly, not even a hint of mockery or malice, but pure contentment. He kissed her once more, softly, before murmuring against her lips, "I'll call you?" It was a question, not a statement.

Beth nodded, trying not to appear too eager. Was this the sign she had wished for? She tried not to get her hopes up too high. She wasn't so naïve to believe in love at first sight. Technically this wasn't first sight, but it was pretty close. Her heart fluttered when Daryl kissed her once more on the cheek then slowly backed away from her for a couple steps before turning away and walking toward his motorcycle. She watched as he swung his leg over the seat and waved at him when he looked back at her. He returned the simple gesture, started the bike's engine, and drove off.

Close to a week had gone by, and Beth still hadn't heard from Daryl. She tried not to over-think it, tried not to worry. After all, she was just some college girl; he was at least ten years old than she was. Who was she kidding, getting her hopes up like that? So what if he'd kissed her? He probably kissed a lot of girls...women. He'd want someone more mature, someone he could relate to.

The worst part about it all was that Maggie was still off on her honeymoon. Beth didn't dare interrupt any of their plans with a phone call or a text just to complain about a guy. Even if the guy in question was Daryl Dixon. Even if they had kissed more than a couple times that night. Even if he did have the most amazingly blue eyes she had ever seen. Even if her heart fluttered at just the thought of him.

She hung her head. What was she going to do? Here she was, pining away over a guy she'd really only met a handful of times. Oh, but what a time they had that night... "No, stop it Beth!" she scolded herself. "Just let it go." Her heart sank as she reluctantly admitted to herself that in all likelihood, she'd heard the last of Daryl Dixon.

She needed to find something to do to get her mind off him. She made her way to the stables and saddled Nelly, her favorite horse. Beth steered Nelly down her favorite path, one that skirted the edge of the stream that ran through the woods surrounding the Greene family farm. The gentle ride helped calm her nerves, and she found herself simply enjoying the quite of the forest around her. She circled back to the barn, brushed Nelly down, even treated her to some carrots from their garden. She made her way up the porch steps, and caught sight of the blanket lying on the porch swing where she had left it all those nights ago, and the few memories she had of him came back with a vengeance. All the aggravation she had just left in the woods poured back onto her shoulders. She stormed up the stairs and went right into her bathroom to take a shower.

Feeling refreshed after her long ride in the hot Georgia heat, her mood improved dramatically. She chose a soft cotton top and jean shorts, planning on relaxing at home the rest of the day. She would be starting her last year of college in about a month's time and she had lots to do to prepare, but she also had lots of free time to enjoy before then. Still, it never hurt to plan ahead. She sat at the desk in her room, writing out all the things she needed to get done before school started at the end of August. She started to get excited about student teaching, finally being able to get her feet wet in what she really wanted to do.

She jumped when she heard her father's voice from behind her, "Bethy?" Beth turned to face him; he was standing in the doorway, holding the phone out to her. "Someone for you."

Beth gave her father a confused look as she got up from her chair and crossed the room. Pressing the receiver to her ear, she started, "Hello?"

"Hey," a gruff voice on the other end replied.

Beth's heart did a backflip in her chest before she remembered she wasn't supposed to be excited about him anymore. "Hi." She wasn't sure what else to say to Daryl, so she decided to let him take the lead.

After a pause he finally spoke, "How, ya doin?"

He sounded nervous, but she wasn't letting him off easy. Not yet. "I'm fine. Yourself?" A niggling feeling in the back of her mind warned her not to get too snarky. He did call, after all, and he never said he'd call her right away. Maybe she should lighten up a little.

"I'm good." Another pause. "Look, I'm, uh...I'm sorry for not calling sooner."

"Yeah...you should be," she said with a smile, hoping he'd pick up on her half-hearted sarcasm. "Not that I was waiting around for you to call or anything." Except that she had been. Not that he needed to know that little tidbit of information.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Beth. I didn't have your phone number. Not like I could call Glenn and ask. I ain't about to disrupt the guy's honeymoon. Do you know how many H Greens there are in the Atlanta phone book. Then I realized you have an extra E on your last name."

Her heart was filled with gratitude and pity for the man on the other end. "Oh my god, Daryl. You didn't..." she trailed off with a laugh. "And after all that, you had to talk to my dad first? You poor guy."

"Yeah. Plus I been real busy at work and going to meetings and stuff. I swear I wanted to call sooner. I didn't mean to leave ya hangin'." He truly sounded remorseful, and her heart went out to him.

"You're forgiven, Daryl. I'll let you make it up to me by taking me out to dinner," she said with a grin. When had she gotten so forward?

She loved hearing his low chuckle in her ear. "You got it," he agreed. "Hey, I really hate to cut this short, but I kinda need to get going. I'll give you a call to figure out dinner. Shouldn't take so long to get a hold of you again."

"I'll make it easier on you," she offered. She was truly touched at the thought of him calling number after number trying to find her. "What's your cell number?" She typed the number into her cell phone as he rattled it off and sent a quick text message. "Now you've got my cell number, too. Should make things go a little smoother, and you don't have to go through daddy's inquisition. I know how he can get."

"I appreciate that," he said, and she really believed him. "I'll talk to you soon, I promise."

"Alright. G'night, Daryl," Beth spoke softly.

"G'night, Beth." She could hear his tiny smile through the phone. "Sleep well," he added before she heard a click, marking the end of the call.

Beth flopped backwards on her bed, as she'd seen done in a hundred romantic comedies where the girl is smitten with the guy and he's just called her. She even clutched the phone to her chest and giggled at the ceiling, completely giddy over him making good on his promise. And now he'd promised to call again to set up a dinner date.

Her cell phone vibrated in her hand. She checked the screen and saw a message waiting for her from Daryl. **_Thanks for the number. Have a good night._**

She excitedly typed back, **_You're welcome. Good night._**

She sighed heavily and grinned to herself. She went over their too-brief conversation in her mind. She sat up at a sudden realization. '_Wait a minute_,' she thought to herself. '_He said he was busy with work and with meetings...Daryl's a mechanic. What kind of meetings are keeping him this busy?_' The thought plagued her mind for the majority of the night before she decided Daryl didn't seem like the kind of guy to make up excuses, that he was a straight shooter. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if he was hiding something.

'_Oh, now seriously, Beth. It's not like you're together or anything. He doesn't have to tell you everything. He doesn't really have to tell you anything. Just let it go,'_ that stubborn voice in the back of her head scolded her.

She brought the home phone back downstairs and set it back on the charger before heading back to her room and getting ready for bed. She fell asleep, her mind flitting back and forth between trying to solve her Daryl puzzle and wondering where he was going to take her for dinner.


	4. Stealing

**Lady in Red – Chapter 4**

It had been two weeks since Glenn and Maggie's wedding when they finally returned to Georgia after their cross country trip. Sasha and Rick, along with Rick's wife Lori and their kids Carl and Judith, had come over for the welcome home dinner the next Sunday at the Greene Family farm. Maggie set up her laptop to show all the pictures they had taken from their travels. As she and Glenn began to share funny stories, they mentioned the jingle bell sound and it was obvious how stymied they both were that they couldn't determine its source. The thought reminded Beth of Daryl, and made her wonder why he was absent from the dinner party. Surely he had been invited – why wasn't he here?

She shot him a quick text, hoping for an equally quick reply, and was disappointed but not surprised when her message went unanswered. Their text conversations tended to be sporadic at best, which was incredibly frustrating. She seemed to have better luck getting a hold of him in the evening, which made sense since he worked with his hands so much during the day. Still, every once in a while, she'd get radio silence from him, even in the evening, and couldn't help but wonder what the deal was.

Beth pocketed her cell phone and redirected her attention to the hi-tech slide show. The pictures of the couple showed two people who were incredibly in love. Beth couldn't have been happier for the pair of them.

Once they had seen all the pictures, everyone gathered around the table for dinner. Beth and Annette had spent the day preparing a feast for the dinner party. Family and friends chowed down on the delicious food, their conversation light and happy. Despite the general happy feeling around her, Beth's attention continued to drift to her silent and still cell phone in her pocket. She tried hard to push the unhappy thoughts away, refusing to be a clingy girlfriend...or girlfriend type of person...whatever she was to Daryl. The unknown details of their relationship threatened to bring down her mood again, so she fought to keep them at bay, focusing on the happy couple sitting across the table from her.

After dinner, Glenn and Maggie finally had a chance to open their gifts from their wedding. Beth took up her maid of honor duty as official scribe, writing down who gave what so the newlyweds could write out their thank you notes once they were settled in their home.

Later that night, as Beth was getting ready for bed, she checked her phone one last time before plugging it into the charger. There was a message waiting for her. She dialed into her voicemail and heard the voice that now gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.

_"Hey, Beth. Sorry I missed you…and I, uh, I do miss ya. I, uh…ahem…I got real busy at work today and a bunch of stuff came up and I just couldn't get out of it. Anyway, uh, if you wanna gimme a call sometime tomorrow and we can figure something out for dinner sometime…maybe this weekend…or whatever. Uh…I guess I'll catch ya later. G'night, Beth."_

Her heart melted into a goopy mess of emotion. He missed her? He sounded so nervous! She smiled at the thought of someone like her making someone like Daryl nervous. He seemed so confident any other time. She giggled, her face bright with blush, then brought her cellphone up and held it over her heart and flopped onto her pillow, sighing heavily. _Girl, you have got it bad._ Was that really such a bad thing? She decided that, no, it wasn't. She could feel herself crushing hard on Daryl. She looked at her phone again, and noting the time, figured it would still be alright to shoot him a text. **_Got your message. _****J****_ I'll try calling tomorrow. _**She thought a minute and sent a second text, **_I miss you, too._**

She tossed her phone onto her pillow and got dressed into her pajamas. She just started brushing out her hair when she heard her phone vibrate and jumped to grab for it. **_Look forward to it. _****J****_ Good night._**

Beth grinned and replied, **_Good night, Daryl. _**She clicked send, sighed again, and laid her head down, fighting her giddiness, knowing she needed to get at least some sleep tonight.

Beth was usually a morning person, probably due to her growing up on the farm. There was always plenty to do during the day to keep the farm running in tip top shape. Lately, however, she noticed she'd been growing more and more impatient for her evenings to come around.

She woke up with the sun, as she often did. Her first thought went to Daryl. She wondered if he was even awake yet. _Only one way to find out,_ she thought. Beth typed out a quick text. **_Good morning. Hope I didn't wake you._**

When she didn't get an immediate response, she figured he was probably still sleeping. She knew the garage he worked at didn't open until nine o'clock. Beth supposed if she didn't have to be up for another two hours, she'd take advantage of it, too. With a heavy sigh, she set her phone down and started getting ready for the day. She was scheduled to work this afternoon until close at the little ice cream shop in town, so she'd have to get all her chores done early if she wanted to get a ride on Nelly in and get to work on time. Once she was dressed, she began brushing out her hair. Her fingers set to work on setting her customary braid when her phone buzzed with a text.

**_Well worth it._**

She blushed, realizing it was silly since no one was around. **_You are so sweet. Did you sleep well?_**

**_I guess. You?_**

**_I slept alright. Had a hard time getting to sleep._**

**_Everything alright?_**

Beth thought for a moment. She could answer him straight or try to flirt. _Go big or go home, right? __**I'm alright. Just kept thinking about you. **_She realized the answer was the truth and not a little flirty.

Silence.

_Crap. Double crap! Way to go, you scared him off!_ Beth mentally slapped herself in the head. So much for flirting. _Come on! Please answer!_

Nothing.

Beth fought back the tears threatening to fall, but failed miserably. Hot tears ran down her cheeks, tears cried out of embarrassment and self-loathing and stupidity and...

She jumped a mile as her phone vibrated in her hand. Beth checked the screen and saw it wasn't a text, he was calling her. _Oh my god!_ She quickly wiped the tears off her face and sniffed back any more that were waiting to fall. She took a deep, calming breath and answered, trying to keep her voice steady as she answered, "Hello?"

"Hi." His voice sounded wonderful in her ear.

She took another breath and cleared her throat, "Um, what's up?"

Beth could hear his smile through the phone, "So you're thinking about me, huh?"

_Crap_. She was sure he'd be able to hear her blush. "Maybe..." _Yeah, because being coy and flirty worked so well before. Hey, he called, didn't he?"_

He chuckled, and a shiver ran down her spine, "Well, I figured since ya woke me up, might as well make the best of it."

Beth relaxed a little, glad he wasn't going to press her for details as to why she was thinking about him. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm really sorry."

"Nah, needed to get up anyway. Start getting back into early morning schedules and all," he half-way explained. Beth was going to ask what he meant by early morning schedule, but he continued, "So, while we're both not busy, when can I take you out for dinner?"

"Oh...um," she stammered. Her pulse was pounding all the way in her ears. "When were you thinking?"

"What about tonight?" he suggested.

She groaned internally. Of all days... "I'm really sorry, I have to work til close tonight. What about this weekend?"

"Mm...weekends are tricky," he replied. "Next week sometime?"

Beth sighed into the phone, "We can try. I start student teaching next week, gonna need to get to bed pretty early, ya know?"

Daryl laughed sardonically, "Well, damn, girl. You're not making this easy on me."

"I'm sorry! I really..."

"Beth..." he interrupted. She loved hearing that voice say her name. "I was joking. Maybe I'll just have to kidnap you and take you out."

Beth giggled nervously, "I'm beginning to think that's about the only way we'll get to see each other."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," his voice lowered, "we'll figure it out."

Beth hummed into the receiver, not sure what to say next. "So..."

"Yes?"

She smiled, "So do you think about me?"

Daryl laughed right out loud, "Oh sure, now you don't hold anything back."

"Well?"

He grew quiet a moment before answering, "Yeah...more than I probably should."

_Oh just melt my freakin' heart, why don't you? _"Really?"

"I called ya, didn't I? Wasn't just cause ya woke me up."

Beth hugged herself and sighed, then realized she'd let it out right into the phone. She mentally slapped herself again. "You're really sweet, you know that?"

"I do what I can," he teased.

"I think about you a lot, too, you know. It sucks that our schedules keep working against us," she complained, but not blaming him in the least.

Daryl let out a heavy sigh, "I know, sweetheart. We'll get there."

"Yeah, I know," she sullenly agreed. She looked up at her alarm clock. "Hey, Daryl, I really hate to do this, but I've got a bunch of stuff I have to get done before I go in to work tonight."

"Alright, darlin'," he said, "I'll keep working on finding a time for dinner. You can't get rid o' me that easy."

"I wouldn't want to," she said before she could stop herself. She hung her head, embarrassed again when she heard him chuckle. "Oh, shut up," she grinned.

"Yes, ma'am," he obeyed. "I'll catch ya later, alright?"

"Alright," she answered. "Bye, Daryl. Have a good day."

"You, too. Bye, sweetheart."

She heard the click, ending the phone call, and just sat on her bed, staring at her phone for a while, positively glowing from the inside, her broad smile never leaving her face. Yeah...she definitely had it bad.

The chores went quickly enough, and her ride with Nelly helped calm her nerves before heading inside to get ready for work. She showered hastily and donned her uniform for work. It was cute, in an old time-y kind of way: a cotton candy pink dress with fat, red buttons running down the front, with a white collar and wide cuffs on her sleeves. She grabbed her apron off the back of her bedroom door, slipped into her sneakers, and bounded down the stairs and out to her car.

Work had been pretty uneventful, but it was a Monday, and relatively cool for summer in Georgia. _There must be a cold front coming in_, she thought as she watched the street lights come on outside the shop. Business was pretty slow; the manager had already sent the other server home for the night, and Beth was doing fine by herself. Her manager got a call from home saying one of her kids wasn't feeling well. Beth volunteered to close up by herself. The manager thanked her profusely, offering her a day off over the weekend for doing this favor for her, and hurried out the door.

Beth doubted she'd actually take her up on the offer, but it was certainly nice to hear. She looked at the stylized clock on the wall and saw there were still a couple hours until it was closing time. Beth sighed and started looking for something to do to kill the time, deciding to start cleaning a little early, restocking as she went.

Both bathrooms had been cleaned thoroughly, all napkin holders refilled; Beth was really on a roll getting everything taken care of when a group of teenagers came in. While she didn't mind serving them, she thought, _It never fails..._. Once the group had left, Beth retouched where she had already cleaned. The clock showed only half an hour to go. Feeling it was safe to do so, she started wiping down the counters a final time, cleaning off the scoopers, doing the final count in the register.

_Fifteen minutes_. She turned her back to the front door, checking the counter behind her for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

_DING!_ The front door swung open. Beth's shoulders sagged slightly. _So close,_ she thought. She plastered her customer service smile to her face and tried to make it look sincere before turning to turn around.

"Any chance I could get a double dip?"

Beth spun around; she'd know that voice anywhere. Standing on the other side of the counter was Daryl. She beamed brightly at him, "Hey, you!"

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "Were you expecting someone else?"

She giggled, "I thought you were 'that guy'."

"Beg pardon?" he said, looking thoroughly confused.

"You know...when you're just about to close, and then 'that guy' comes in and you just know you aren't getting off work when you're supposed to," Beth explained, her smile never leaving her face.

Daryl nodded, "Ah...yeah, we have a different name for people like that. Probably not polite to say in a place like this." Daryl took in the bright, cheery ambience of the ice cream parlor. "Nice get up, by the way."

Beth blushed, "Shut up. It's not like I picked it."

"No, it's cute...it suits ya," he playfully argued, forcing her blush to deepen.

"So...can I get you anything?" she offered, not sure what else to say.

"Nah. Just thought I'd come in here and wait."

Beth shook her head, "For what?"

Daryl looked up at the clock, which had just reached nine o'clock. He turned back to her with a grin, "Closing time." Beth giggled again, still a little confused. "I just figured with our schedules bein' so crazy like they are, I'd just come and kidnap ya and take ya out. I did warn ya," he teased.

Beth reached behind her and untied her apron, setting it on the counter. "I just need to finish up with the register and lock up. Five minutes, tops."

"I'll time ya," he winked at her and took a seat at one of the tables.

True to her word, Beth had finished closing up in less than five minutes and came back out to the front to join Daryl. He stood up as she came closer, meeting her in the middle of the floor. "I'm impressed." He offered her his arm, and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"Where are we going?" Beth asked.

"You'll see," Daryl smirked at her. He walked her to the door and waited for her to turn out lights and lock up before heading out to the sidewalk and walking down the street. They hadn't gone far when he turned toward a little diner at the end of the block. He escorted her inside, nodded at the waitress, and guided Beth to a booth in the corner. "I know, it ain't exactly the nicest place, but the food's good," he offered.

Beth grinned, "Yeah, I know. I had a sandwich from here for dinner tonight." Daryl's face fell, and Beth's heart went with it. She reached across the table and took his hand. "Hey...you can always buy me dessert," she said with a smile. He raised his eyebrows and she squeezed his hand.

The waitress came over and greeted them both by name. Apparently they both came here pretty frequently. Beth ordered a piece of peach pie and a vanilla coke, while Daryl ordered a plate of chili cheese fries and a regular coke. When the waitress walked back to place the order, Daryl leaned forward. "What, no ice cream with your pie?" he teased.

"Very funny. One good thing about this job is that I very rarely want ice cream...ever!" she declared.

"I'll remember that," Daryl nodded.

The waitress came back quickly with their order. She had just turned her back when Beth reached across the table to steal a fry. "Damn, woman! I didn't even get a chance and you're already stealin' off my plate!"

Beth grinned as she bit into the fry, "Ya gotta be quick. Besides, they're best when the cheese is still melty."

"Yeah, yeah," Daryl acquiesced, rolling his eyes.

Beth took a sip of her vanilla coke. "You can steal a bite of mine if it makes you feel better."

"It ain't stealin' if ya give me permission," he said dryly. Now it was Beth's turn to roll her eyes.

They joked and teased and talked as they ate, growing more and more comfortable with each other as the conversation progressed. Daryl kept asking Beth questions, about her family, her school, why she wanted to be a teacher. She noticed he rarely offered anything about himself, but knew he was a pretty private guy, so didn't press for anything too invasive.

When they'd finished and Daryl had paid the bill (despite Beth's protests to at least split the check), they both slid out of the booth and stretched their legs. Beth bent to grab her apron off the bench; when she stood back up, Daryl pressed a quick kiss against her lips, completely catching her off guard.

"See...that's how ya steal somethin'," he murmured. Beth blinked rapidly as the blush crept from her neck over her cheeks and up to the tips of her ears. Daryl offered his arm to her again and led her back out to the sidewalk, now littered with scattered raindrops.

As they walked back toward the ice cream shop and to their cars, the rain picked up and they were caught in a sudden downpour. Daryl released her hand from his arm and caught it in his own hand, running with her down the street. They stood under the awning of the ice cream shop, both laughing and out of breath.

Beth looked up at him, watching drops of water fall from his long, unruly hair. She watched his eyes dance back and forth between hers and her lips. Her heart, already racing from their dash through the rain, made no effort to slow its rhythm.

Daryl took a purposeful step toward her and ran his fingertips along her forehead and down her cheeks, brushing her damp hair away from her face before cupping her face in his hands and bringing his mouth to hers. They met each other perfectly, their tongues hesitantly tasting each other's. Her arms wound around his neck as one of his hands slid down her back to rest on her hips, pulling her even closer, the other cradling her neck. Their mouths moved together, taking their time tasting and teasing, stretching the kiss from simple to more passionate.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed immediately by a loud clap of thunder, making both of them jump back. They laughed a little before stepping out of their embrace, Daryl's hand rubbing along the back of his neck as his other hand reached into his pocket for his keys. He looked a little lost as to what to do or say next. Beth threw him a lifeline, "This was nice tonight. I had a really nice time."

"Yeah?" Daryl seemed surprised. "Yeah, me too."

Beth grinned, "You still aren't off the hook for dinner, though, you know."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, "Oh, don't you worry. I always make good on my promises."

"I trust you," Beth whispered. She looked at the rain falling in the street; it seemed to be lessening a little. "Well, I oughta head home. Don't want mom and dad to think I got washed off the road."

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, me too. Let me know when you get home so I...um...ya know" he trailed off, stopping himself. Beth wondered what he was going to say.

"I will," she promised. She made to leave, but turned last minute, reached up on her tip toes and kissed him again. "You're not the only thief, you know," she kidded him.

His hand cupped the back of her head and brought her to meet him again for another kiss, this one more urgent than the last. He pulled away and smirked at her, "Just giving you food for thought for tonight."

She smiled widely and smacked him playfully, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Good night, Daryl," she said as she made to leave.

He met her smile with his own. "Good night, Beth."

They both hurried to their cars, parked close enough to the front door of the shop. Beth hopped into her car and drove down the street. When she made it back home, she texted Daryl from the driveway and rushed inside. By the time she made it up to her room and had gotten out of her wet uniform and into her pajamas, he had replied. Twice.

**_Glad you're home safe. _**

**_Thinking about me yet?_**

Beth smiled and shook her head. **_Always. You?_**

Her phone buzzed a minute later. **_Never stopped. Good night._**

**I'm so sorry this took so long to get going. These two just did not want to talk to me, but man, once they did...I couldn't get them to stop! Thanks to Remi Savant, Dixongurl and Basswipe on tumblr for kicking my butt into gear to get this chapter done. Please leave a review – it gives me incentive to keep this going!**


	5. Hunting

**Lady in Red - Chapter 5**

Beth checked her long neglected e-mail. Her mentor had said that the last week before the grade schools were back in session, she would receive a notice in her e-mail regarding what school she'd be assigned to for her student teaching. Because she attended a huge school like Georgia State, she knew it was kind of a crap shoot as to where she'd be assigned.

She weeded through the junk mail that had made it through the spam filter on her e-mail account, wondering where it all came from; she was hardly ever on-line. Shaking her head, she found and clicked on an e-mail from the Education department at Georgia State. Her heart sank a little. Apparently because she was a music education major, she was actually assigned to three schools: an elementary school for the first half of the semester and one of the middle schools and high schools for the second half. _Ah, the joys of being certified in Primary and Secondary._

Beth shrugged it off and started clicking on the links to see where the schools were located. Luckily they were all pretty close to each other, all in one corner of Atlanta. The downside was it'd be close to an hour drive from her parent's house. She hadn't reserved a dorm room at GSU just in case something like this happened. Beth was suddenly very glad she'd planned for this and had been working all the hours she could to save up as much money as she could to be able to put a deposit on an apartment.

Now she just had to _find_ an apartment. She opened another tab on her browser and started searching for apartments in her price range that would get her closer to the schools where she'd be teaching. She came up with a list of places that met her criteria and started making plans to drive around to see them. She called the different property managers and set appointments to see the inside of all of them.

Beth really wished she had someone to go with her to see all these places. She hated to ask her mother and father, though they were obviously her first choice. She felt guilty asking them to come with her when there was so much to be done around the farm, especially since she would soon be too busy with school to be able to help them much. Next she thought of Maggie and Glenn. Beth called her sister to see what her schedule was like for the next couple days.

"Sorry sweetie," Maggie replied, "but with taking the two weeks off for the honeymoon, I am swamped trying to play catch up. Can you go apartment hunting this weekend when both me and Glenn are off?"

Beth's shoulders slumped. "No, that's okay, Mags. I'd really like to use the weekend to move in, not to just start looking for something. Don't worry about it. I'm a big girl, I can do this myself."

"Alright. Wish I could help. Let me know if you change your mind."

Beth grinned, "Oh, don't you worry. You can make it up to me by helping me move."

Maggie laughed, "Deal. Good luck, kiddo."

Beth said her goodbye and ended the call. She sighed heavily as she tossed her phone on the bed and flopped back on her pillow. She really didn't want to do all this by herself, but was dreading asking her parents even more so. How was she supposed to show how independent she was if she needed mommy and daddy to hold her hand? She steeled her resolve and pushed herself off the bed to return to the laptop on her desk. "I can do this," she reminded herself as she started plotting everything out on Mapquest. She'd been to Atlanta plenty of times, but only to go shopping or to visit a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion. She didn't know much about the residential areas of Atlanta at all.

That was another thing that worried her. She wanted to find a safe neighborhood, and knew there were certain corners of Atlanta that were not exactly the safest place to be. She figured she could handle herself well enough, but would rather avoid trouble than put herself in the middle of it.

She returned to her search for apartments, making sure she hadn't missed anything. Beth jumped when her phone went off, chiming happily, indicating she had gotten a new text message. She smiled, already pretty sure who had sent the message, and became downright giddy when she saw that her guess was right.

**_Hey sweetheart. How's your day?_**

**_Meh. Alright._**

**_Everything okay?_**

**_Yeah. Just stuff on my mind._**

And silence. Again. _Will I ever have an actual conversation with him on the phone?_ she wondered. Beth tossed the phone back onto her bed and turned back to her research, only to have it go off again, this time filling her bedroom with the sounds of her ringtone. She answered, already smiling, "Hello?"

"Hey. You okay?" The concern in his voice warmed her heart.

"I'm fine. Aren't you at work?"

"Yeah, but things are a little slow today. Thought talking would go faster and easier than texting."

"Good call."

"Yeah. So…what's going on?"

"I got my student teaching assignment today," she explained.

"That bad, huh?"

Beth giggled, "No. The schools are fine, but I'm gonna need to find an apartment closer to the schools. Ain't no way I'm driving almost an hour one way every day if I can avoid it."

"Wow…watch it girl. You're starting to talk like me," he teased. "So what's the problem? Scared of moving out?"

"No, not scared, just…I don't want to end up living in a hole. I don't know what to look for or what to ask. Maggie's busy and I hate asking mom and dad."

Another pause. Beth started to think one of them had suddenly lost signal. "I…uh…I could go with ya if ya want."

"Oh my gosh, would you?" Beth blurted out, then thought a moment. "I couldn't ask you to, though. It's really sweet of you to offer, but I don't want you to have to take off work just for me."

"I wouldn't." He replied. Beth scoffed, but he continued, "We're having our parking lot resurfaced tomorrow. I get a free day off." He cleared his throat and added, his voice softer now with a hint of nervousness, "You'd be worth calling off for, anyway."

Beth's breath caught in her throat. "Oh… Daryl, that's so sweet." She was sure he could hear her blushing through the phone.

He cleared his throat again, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't let that get around."

She smiled, "My lips are sealed."

"Tomorrow morning then? I could come pick you up, we grab some coffee and head out?"

"Sounds great. Thank you so much, Daryl. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Nah. Don't worry about it. Hey, I gotta get back, someone just pulled up."

"Alright. Have a good rest of your day."

"You, too. See ya."

Beth smiled and sighed dreamily as she set her phone down. She suddenly felt…lighter…bubbly even. She couldn't contain the broad smile that stretched across her face. That is until she glanced at the clock and she realized it was time to get ready for work. It looked like she would be using her free day off that she had earned the other night after all.

The next day began with a beautiful sunrise; Beth would know because she was up long before the sun, her body restless with excitement. She'd get to spend the whole day with Daryl. Her heart was practically jumping out of her chest. She selected her outfit for the day – a cream colored top, one of her nicer pairs of jeans, and her favorite pair of boots – cute but conservative. She pulled her hair into her customary ponytail.

Beth printed off the directions and the information she had found for all the different properties. She crept downstairs, grabbed an apple for a quick breakfast, and snuck out to the front porch to wait. Daryl had never really specified when he would come to pick her up, so she made herself comfy on the porch swing. She was going over her list of apartments when she heard a loud engine approaching the farm.

She stood up as Daryl's bike came into view and skipped down the steps to meet him in the driveway, looping the strap of her purse over her head as she walked. "Morning!" she greeted him cheerfully.

"Morning," he smiled, reaching out to wrap his arm around her waist and pulling her in for a quick kiss. "Ya ready?"

Beth blushed slightly, still not used to a man like Daryl just up and kissing her so freely like he did. It made her heart leap with happiness and nervousness. She nodded, not trusting her voice all of a sudden.

Daryl handed her a spare helmet, helping her fasten it under her chin. He held out a hand to help her keep her balance as she swung her leg over the seat of the motorcycle, holding onto his shoulder with her free hand. Once she was seated, she rested her hands on his sides, just below his rib cage. "Gotta hold on tighter than that," he said as he gently took her hands and brought them to rest just above his navel. "Don't want ya flyin' off once we get on the highway."

Once he was satisfied with her grip around him, he started the engine and slowly made his way back toward the main road, letting Beth grow accustomed to leaning with him as he took each curve of the driveway. As they hit the highway that ran past the farm, Daryl took off, and Beth clung tightly around his waist and squeezed her thighs tightly around his. She let out an excited "Whoo!" as they sped down the road into town.

Daryl stopped at a café on the edge of town, near the interstate. He shut off the motor and lowered the kick stand, then held out his hand to help Beth off the bike. Her legs were still wobbly from all the vibrations and from gripping around Daryl so tightly; when her feet hit the ground, her knees buckled underneath her. Daryl's arms shot out and caught her; she marveled at his strength again as she fought to regain her balance. Once she was steady on her feet again, he removed his helmet, then reached up to unclip hers. Some of her hair had come loose from her ponytail; after he stowed the helmets in the side compartment, then brought his hand up to tuck her stray hairs behind her ears.

She smiled at him, swearing to herself that the blush crossing her face was strictly due to the ride on the back of his bike. _Will there ever be a time he doesn't make me blush?_ She stepped back as he gracefully swung his leg over the bike. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her into the tiny café.

They ordered their coffees, both of them indulging in a pastry; Daryl picked a bearclaw, Beth a cherry Danish. They sat at a small table near the window to eat their breakfast. Daryl started casting glances at Beth and chuckling before the finally let out a frustrated, "What?"

Daryl leaned over and reached out his hand, thumb extended. "You got a little cherry on your cheek," he explained softly. Beth felt a flush creep over her as he rubbed his thumb against the offending stickiness, then bringing his thumb to his mouth to clean it off, his eyes never leaving hers.

The two finished their brief meal. Beth took out her list of apartments so Daryl knew where they'd be going today. They cleared their places and walked back out to Daryl's motorcycle, their arms brushing against each other with every step. Beth felt a slight thrill every time they touched; she wondered if Daryl felt the same.

Helmets on, they saddled up on the bike and headed down the interstate toward the first apartment on the list. The leasing agent met them at the front door and showed them in. It was cute enough, but there was a definite smell that Beth couldn't place. After they had seen all the rooms, Daryl took the lead asking questions about the lease and utilities. Beth gazed up at him in awe; he seemed so confident, like he went apartment shopping all the time and knew exactly what questions to ask. The agent shook their hands as they walked back out to the motorcycle. "So what'd you think?" Beth asked.

"No. Not that one."

"Why not? I thought it was cute."

"Your nose work okay?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "That smell in there was mold. Shit's hard to get rid of. Besides, ya never go with the first one you see."

Beth hung her head and kicked at the ground. She did notice the smell, she just thought it was because the apartment had been vacant and closed up. She shrugged and grabbed her helmet before hopping on the back of Daryl's bike again. They made their way through several neighborhoods before arriving at her next appointment. Beth took off her helmet and looked at the building, knowing right away she wasn't going to take this one either. The building looked like it was crumbling from the outside in, and leaning on one of its corners.

Daryl turned and gave her a doubtful look. Beth asked him, "Do we even bother?"

"Your call, darling. Can't imagine it looks much better on the inside. Look along the foundation line. All those cracks…you're gonna have bugs and water coming in all year long."

Beth sighed heavily and fished her phone out of her purse. She dialed up the management company and cancelled her appointment. When she ended the call, she wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist and peeked over his shoulder. "Guess we've got some time to kill."

He glanced at her over his shoulder and smirked at her. "Any ideas?"

She grinned, "I trust you."

Daryl put his helmet back on, turned to her again and said, "Buckle up." She hurriedly fastened her helmet and grabbed hold of his waist just before he revved the bike's engine and rumbled down the street. He drove slowly through the neighborhoods, seemingly not with any destination in mind. They wound up pulling under a shade tree at the edge of a small park. Beth hopped off the bike and took off her helmet, placing it in the side compartment. Daryl stood next to her and slowly ran his fingers down her arm, sending a wave of chills up and down her spine. He laced his fingers between hers and pulled gently on her hand, silently asking her to follow him.

They found a comfy looking spot under the tree; Daryl sat down, leaning against the trunk, and pulled Beth down to sit between his legs. She looked over her shoulder at him, suddenly a little nervous. "What? Can't have ya leaning against the tree, getting yer shirt all dirty." She smiled softly and relaxed against his chest, her smile widening when she felt him sigh beneath her. Her head fit naturally in the space between his shoulder and his neck.

"This is nice," she murmured contentedly.

"Mm-hmm," he hummed in agreement. Beth felt him move beneath him, and gasped loudly when his lips brushed against her neck. She spun around and stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Sorry," he muttered. "Couldn't resist." He smiled guiltily at her, but the smile in his eyes showed he wasn't all that sorry.

He leaned forward and caught her lips in a soft kiss, which she timidly returned. His lips moved against hers, drawing her in. Daryl wound his arms around her waist and tugged her into his lap, his mouth never leaving hers. He smiled against her then teased the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue. She opened her mouth readily to him, accepting his tongue as he tasted her. He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, then cupped her jaw in his palm.

Beth melted into him, sliding her arms around his neck, anchoring herself to him. His large hands all but covered her back, drawing her ever close to him, then, without warning, released her; she groaned at the loss of closeness between them. Beth gazed up at him, a worried look crossing her face.

"Don't wanna get carried away," Daryl apologized. "We are in public, and you've got another appointment to keep coming up soon." He chuckled softly when she lowered her eyes, her face crestfallen. "Hey." He raised her chin with his forefinger, waiting for her eyes to meet his. "Trust me, I'd love to get carried away with you." He brushed his thumb across the blush spreading on the apple of her cheek and kissed her sweetly again, before returning her to the place between his legs, letting her relax against him again.

Beth was leaning against him, his arms draped down her sides, her hands resting on his, but she was definitely not relaxed. How could she when this man, with his strong arms wrapped around her, had just dropped that little bombshell on her? She willed her heart to slow down before it beat right out of her chest. She was just starting to calm down when he nudged her and let her know it was time to head out to the next appointment. Beth held in any complaints, not wanting to leave the quiet spot.

They toured all over, keeping the many appointments Beth had made. Each apartment had good qualities, some more than others, but none felt like home to Beth. As the day went on, Beth grew more and more worried.

"Don't freak out just yet. We'll find something," Daryl reassured her.

After the last appointment of the day, Beth had given up. Daryl was driving through the streets of the neighborhood, and ended up at a delicatessen. "Come on. You'll feel better after lunch." He held her hand and led her inside and up to the counter. They ordered their sandwiches and found a table near the back. Beth picked at her sandwich, not feeling much of an appetite. As they ate, she looked around the deli, taking in the décor. Across the aisle was a bulletin board full of signs for community events and "Need a Sitter?" flyers. One particular poster caught Beth's eye – there were no graphics, nothing fancy about it, but it advertised a place for rent. She pointed it out to Daryl, "What do you think?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders noncommittally, "Sure. Why not? Who knows, you might get lucky." She blushed, again, and he winked at her.

Her appetite suddenly returning, Beth wolfed down her sandwich and cleared both of their places. She had a really good feeling about this one.

They pulled up to the house, and Beth immediately fell in love with it. She all but skipped up the path to the front door and knocked. An older, bearded gentleman with wild eyebrows and soft brown eyes opened the door. "May I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Beth Greene," she introduced herself. "I saw the flyer for an apartment to rent at the deli down the block and wondered if it was still available."

"Ah! Nice to meet you. My name is Dale...Dale Horvath," he offered his hand for a handshake. "Yeah, the apartment is still available. Let me open it up for you." He stepped outside and led her and Daryl down the driveway toward the back of the house. He climbed the steps leading up to the second story door and slid the key in the lock, opened the door, and gestured for her to walk in. Beth took one look around and knew it was perfect.

They stepped into a small living room, bright and cheery sunshine streaming in through the windows, lightening the space instantly. Beth followed the natural flow of the room into the short hallway that led to the kitchen and, following it further, the 2 bedrooms. The kitchen wasn't spacious by any means, but if it was just for Beth, it was perfect; plenty of cabinet and counter space for her, room for a small dining table. The master bedroom was spacious, at least spacious enough for Beth, while the second bedroom was smaller and could easily be used for more storage or as an office. The walls were freshly painted a soft white; the floors were covered with soft looking, creamy colored carpets, and Beth couldn't wait to run her toes through it. She went back out to the living room to find Daryl in conversation with Dale.

"We'd saved up for when we retire, bought an RV and planned to travel the country. Then my Irma was diagnosed with cancer and...well, it's just been me for a little over a year." His eyes glanced over at Beth, who had come to join them in the middle of the room. He smiled, a little sadly, and continued, "I sold the RV and poured myself into converting the house to split into this apartment. All this room was far too much for just me. It'll be nice to have someone close by again."

Daryl looked over to Beth, "Wanna give me a tour?" Beth grinned and took him by the hand and led him back through the apartment. When Daryl had seen and inspected everything he could, he asked her, "So what do you think?"

Beth swore she saw something like a twinkle in his eye, and she was sure her expression matched his. "I really like it. What do you think? Is it...okay?"

"Seems to be. Neighborhood seems pretty nice. Won't take much to keep this place warm in winter, everything seems pretty on par as far as pipes and electric. It's up to you, though."

Beth beamed up at him and forced herself to calmly walk back to the living room to talk to Mr. Horvath. "I love it! What's the next step?"

"I'll run downstairs and grab the paperwork for you to fill out," he excused himself.

Beth turned to see Daryl leaning in the archway separating the living room from the kitchen. She sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist; she felt his arms slide around her shoulders, pulling her close. She craned her neck to look up at him, "Thank you so much for coming with me today. It really, really means a lot to me."

"Ain't nothin'," he shrugged it off.

"It is something," she argued. "You took your day off to spend with me, and you helped me so much. What can I do to repay you?"

Daryl only smirked and lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. "There. We're even."

Beth rolled her eyes and grinned up at him. "Daryl..." she started, but was interrupted by Dale returning with the paperwork. She brought the papers into the kitchen to fill out on the counter, then wrote out a check to cover the deposit.

"When do you plan on moving in?" Dale asked.

"Over the weekend, if that's alright."

"It's fine with me," the older man smiled warmly. He held out two shiny silver keys on a key ring. "Welcome home, young lady."

Beth could hardly contain her excitement on the way back home. As they drew closer to the farmhouse, she realized her day with Daryl was drawing to a close, and she just wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. She yelled up to Daryl over the wind rushing past them, asking him if they could stop somewhere for dinner. He pulled up to the same diner he'd taken her to the other day. They ordered their favorites and talked about this, that and the other thing, but mainly about Beth's plans for the apartment. It seemed to Beth that Daryl wasn't looking to going home, either. Still, she knew eventually they'd have to face reality.

Beth snatched up the check before Daryl had a chance to, arguing that he had spent his day carting her around and giving free advice, that she owed him. Daryl could only scowl at her, but seemed to already know that trying to fight her would only end in failure.

They eventually found themselves in Beth's driveway. Beth slid off the seat, having none of the problems she did earlier in the day, and handed Daryl her helmet. "Thanks again for everything, Daryl. Really, it means so much to me that you came along."

"Don't worry about it. It was fun for me, too, ya know?"

"Really?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. Spend all day outside instead of in the garage, out on my bike with my girl wrapping her arms around me the whole time..." he cut himself off, and Beth thought she caught the slightest tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"I'm your girl?" she asked softly. He only shrugged and looked at the ground. Beth gently placed her hands on either side of his face. "Let me try that again," she grinned. "I'm your girl." It was a statement this time, not a question. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Before she could pull away, Daryl had enfolded her in his arms and crushed her to his body, kissing her more urgently than he ever had. Her knees started to give way, and she knew it had nothing to do with the after-effects of riding Daryl's motorcycle. Her hands moved to play with the hair at the nape of his neck as his hands played along the small of her back. Their tongues danced around each other. Their kiss drew soft moans and sighs from both of them, and seemed to go on forever. Beth shifted slightly to the side and immediately gasped and jumped back when she felt an unfamiliar hardness pressing against her.

"Daryl...I..."

"Beth, I'm so..."

They both laughed nervously after interrupting each other. Beth spoke again first, "I should probably head back in. Besides, you've got work tomorrow."

"Yeah. It's gonna suck going back after today, though," Daryl half-way complained, his hand coming up to let the back of his fingers brush against her flushed cheek.

"Let me know when you get home?"

"Think about me until I do?"

Beth blushed again, "You know it."

"Alright, darlin'. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Good night, Daryl. Thanks again."

"G'night Beth." He started up the engine, giving her one last, longing look, and drove down the long driveway and out of sight.


	6. Moving

**Chapter 6 - Moving**

Beth walked into the living room, finding her parents there watching TV, and told them about the apartment she'd found. Her excitement was slightly dampened when both of her parents showed their disappointment and skepticism that she had found the so-called perfect apartment without taking her parents for a quick walk through, seeking their approval before putting down a deposit. Beth felt a twinge of guilt, not wanting to bring up the fact that they would have been too busy to come along with her anyway. On top of that, Hershel was just not as young as he used to be, and all the driving around would have worn him out, anyway. Besides, there was no telling if her parents would have wanted to eat at the little deli where Beth had just happened to find the flyer for the apartment; Daryl had picked where to go for lunch that day.

Despite all the reasons and excuses Beth could have given them, she gritted her teeth and smiled at her parents. "When would you like to see it?" she asked sweetly, holding tight to the keys in her pocket. Hershel and Annette looked at each other, as if they were silently communicating, trying to decide what time they could spare from their already busy schedules at the farm.

Hershel turned back to her, "First thing tomorrow." He got up from his armchair and walked heavily up the stairs, his message clear – end of conversation.

Beth looked to gauge her mother's reaction, but her face wasn't giving much away. She silently followed her husband up the stairs. _Great. I didn't want to upset them. What a mess. _She followed her parents up the stairs and went to her own room. She sent Daryl a good night text and got ready for bed.

The drive to Beth's new apartment was quiet for the most part. Annette tried her best to keep up mild conversation, but Hershel didn't seem in a talking mood, and Beth was lost in thought over how her life was changing so rapidly. In the span of a month, she had found herself an amazing boyfriend, she would be moving out of her parents' house and living on her own, and would begin her training for her teaching career. She realized just how much she still needed to get done before her student teaching began.

It dawned on her she had very little furniture to fill her apartment. She had her bed and her dresser, but no couch or anything for the living room, no dishes of her own, no food...not even a vacuum to clean the carpets...not to mention Beth needed to update her wardrobe with more teaching appropriate attire. Her mind swam as the reality of just how quickly her savings was about to be depleted sank in. She had told her boss at the ice cream shop that she could still come in, but would definitely need to cut back on her hours, at least until she got into the swing of things at her teaching assignments.

Beth sighed internally as she questioned herself – had she bitten off more than she could chew? Maybe she should just stay at her parents' house until she got an actual teaching job. Her heart dropped; she was really looking forward to being out on her own.

As they got closer, Beth gave Hershel turn by turn directions from the back seat. They drove up to the house and pulled into the driveway, parking in the widened driveway in the back of the house. Beth led her parents up the stairs and opened the door for them to enter. She felt a little more at ease when she saw her mother's smile at her first impression of the apartment; her father had a very critical eye and was already on the lookout for something to find wrong. Beth was slightly relieved when he had stayed quiet for so long.

After a short eternity, Hershel faced his daughter, his inspection completed, "Everything looks real good, Bethy. You found a good one. How'd you find it?"

"We'd been looking all day and couldn't find anything, so we stopped for lunch and there was a flyer on a bulletin board, so we tried it on a hunch and...it's perfect...isn't it?" Beth faltered as she saw the look on her parents' faces.

"We?" Annette asked. "Who's we?"

Beth mentally slapped herself. She hadn't told any of her family about Daryl yet. It was still so new, and they'd really only made things kind of official last night. There was no shame in their being together, though; Daryl was a good man, a great guy. "Um...me and Daryl."

Her parents looked at each other. "Daryl?" her mom questioned. "Glenn's friend?"

"Yeah...yes. We'd met before, doing stuff with Maggie and Glenn, but actually got to talk at the wedding, and then we've…kept in touch since then," she tried to explain.

"Uh huh," Hershel grumbled, sounding very suspicious. "He's a little old for you, isn't he Bethy?"

Beth looked incredulously between her mother and father. _Really? They're close to twenty years apart themselves, and they're going to have a fit because Daryl and I are...well...how old is he, anyway?_

Annette grinned a little sheepishly, seemingly reading Beth's mind, and placed a hand on her husband's upper arm, "That may not be the best argument, dear."

Hershel looked down at her and caught her drift then turned back to direct his attention to Beth, "Fair enough. I want to meet him."

"You've already met Daryl," Beth started to complain.

"I have, but not as someone with whom my daughter apparently feels comfortable enough to take apartment shopping instead of her own fath...parents," Hershel retorted, obviously upset with Beth's decision.

"Daddy, I know how busy you and mom are on the farm and didn't want to take you away from everything for a whole day. I asked Maggie and Glenn first, but they were both busy with work, too. I was talking to Daryl and he volunteered. He had the day off work anyway, so I accepted. I didn't mean to make you upset, I just didn't want to do all this by myself. I wouldn't know what questions to ask or what to look for, but Daryl did. I promise, Daddy. Please don't be mad at me," Beth pleaded.

Hershel's face softened; he opened his arms for a hug which Beth gladly stepped into. "I'm not mad, doodlebug. This is all just kind of taking me by surprise. Guess I didn't realize you'd be moving out so soon."

Beth stepped out of his embrace and smiled up at her father. "So," she gestured to the rest of the apartment, "what do you think?"

"It's a cute little place, Beth," Annette approved and looked to her husband.

Hershel nodded approvingly, "Everything looks good. You can afford it okay?"

Beth chewed on her lip before answering, "Well, I'll still have hours at work, and I've got a bunch saved up, but I'm going to have to get furniture and everything eventually, so things'll be pretty tight, but I think I can make it work."

Hershel and Annette looked at each other, "We'll see what we can do about that," Annette smiled, putting her arm around Beth's shoulders. Hershel took a tape measure out of his pocket and began measuring dimensions of rooms and doors then ushered the women out the door and back to the car.

The Greenes drove back to town and stopped at This n' That, a second-hand furniture store run by Lori Grimes, the sheriff's wife. The Grimes were longtime friends of the Greene family and Lori was more than happy to cut a deal for Beth's first set of furniture. Hershel and Annette ended up purchasing a small couch, dining table and chairs, a full-sized mattress, bed frame and headboard, and dresser for their youngest. Beth was overwhelmed with gratitude toward her parents. This took an enormous weight off her mind. She realized her parents had always been incredibly supportive of her and her siblings and really shouldn't have been surprised or nervous that they'd be so willing to help her get her new place all set up.

They made arrangements for the furniture to be delivered on Saturday and headed home. The ride back carried none of the tension from their ride that morning. Everyone seemed to be in much better spirits now that things were more concretely planned out, less was hanging in the air still to be decided. On the way home, Beth texted Daryl. **_Please call when you get a chance. I'll be up, I promise._** She smiled to herself and sent a second text, **_I keep thinking about you, btw. _**A few minutes later she got a text back.

**_Is that right? Everything okay?_**

**_Everything's fine. Just would rather talk this out, not text._**

**_Why do I have the feeling this is bad news?_**

**_Not bad news, I promise. Just...and don't _**

**_take this the wrong way...we need to talk._**

**_Well that sounds nice and ominous._**

**_J_****_ Like I said. I promise. No bad news._**

**_Alright, darling. I'll try and call around 8?_**

**_Sounds perfect. Talk to you then._**

**_Alright._**

**_I keep thinking about you, too, ya know._**

**_Aww...really?_**

Beth stared at her phone, waiting for Daryl's reply, but it never came. She groaned internally, mentally cursing their stupid schedules for being so uncooperative. She glanced at the time and realized he had probably been at the end of his lunch break when she had first texted him and he had to go back to work. She couldn't begrudge him for not answering, especially if the garage had been closed all day yesterday. She tried to spin the bright side of the situation and chalked it all up to him being a loyal and dedicated worker.

When they returned to the farm house, Beth began her chores around the farm, then drove into town to stop at the ice cream shop and the diner to beg for empty cardboard boxes. She loaded up her little car with dissembled boxes and went back home to begin packing. As she packed, she made a mental list of the things she'd still need for her apartment: dishes, vacuum, cleaning supplies, curtains (not that anyone would really be looking in on her on the second floor), a TV (eventually...and a cable plan), lamps, and 'teaching' clothes...and shoes. Later she would worry about decorating her apartment, making it really hers, but she knew she needed to focus on necessities first. She began to wonder about internet access, resolving to using wi-fi at a café or something until she could find a plan she could afford.

Beth was lost in thought and jumped when her phone alerted her to a text message received. She smiled widely when she finally got Daryl's response. **_Of course._** She figured he'd just gotten off work judging by the time. Her mother called her downstairs for dinner. She decided he was probably riding his bike back to his house and wouldn't hear or respond to her text anyway, so she left the phone on her bed and went downstairs to set the table.

After dinner, Beth spent some much needed time with her parents. It was hard to believe that in a few short days, she wouldn't have this time with them anymore. She knew she could always visit, but it wouldn't be the same. They settled in and watched some TV, just enjoying each other's company. As the sitcoms played out on the screen, Beth realized they'd been watching for a couple hours now and that Daryl would be calling soon. She jumped up and hustled up the stairs, hoping she hadn't already missed his call. She lunged for her phone and saw she had two missed text messages, one from Maggie and one from Daryl. She opened Daryl's first. **_Thinking about how much I like kissing you. _**She blushed brightly, but instead of replying, she decided to wait until he called to tell him just what was on her mind.

Maggie's text was asking how apartment hunting was going. Beth quickly texted back, telling her she'd found a really cute place and that plans were to move in on Saturday, reminding her that she promised she'd help haul and unpack stuff. She had just gotten Maggie's response when her phone started ringing in her hand.

"You're really good at that, you know," Beth answered with a smile.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" he asked, his voice smiling back at her through the phone.

"Calling me or texting me when I'm thinking about you."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. But I think about you quite often, so you're bound to hit the mark once in a while," she teased.

Daryl scoffed, "Oh, that's how it is, huh? Build me up then let me down. Might as well start callin' ya Buttercup."

He had her there. "Buttercup?" _Am I a horse now?_

"Yeah, ya know," he cleared his throat and sang in a soft, slightly off-pitch falsetto, "Why do ya build me up, buttercup, baby, just to let me down and mess me around…"

Beth joined in, effectively cutting him off, "And worst of all, you never call baby when you say you will, but I love you still…" But stopped short when she realized the lyrics she had just sung. "Um…that's a great song."

"Yeah. Oldie but goodie."

"Uh-huh."

The awkward silence filling the line was almost painful.

Daryl cleared his throat, "So, you said we, uh, needed to talk?"

Beth shook her head, finally coming back to the conversation, and frantically tried to recall why she'd wanted him to call so badly. "Oh, right. Well, you can still help me move on Saturday, right?"

"Sure. I switched shifts with one of the guys at the shop. Talked to my brother Merle, he's bringing his truck. Should make up for me just having my bike. It's fun to ride, but shit for hauling stuff…besides pretty girls, that is."

Beth's breath caught in her throat; she'd gone speechless again at his compliment. She finally found her voice, "That's great. Would you mind maybe coming over a little earlier?"

"I think I can do that. What's going on?" The suspicion in his voice told Beth he knew she was avoiding the whole truth.

She sighed. _Just spit it out, Beth!_ she reprimanded herself. "My dad wants to meet you."

There was a quiet minute before he responded. "He's met me," Daryl replied, an edge of confusion in his voice.

"I know…but not as my…boyfriend," Beth stammered out.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Another moment of deafening silence weighed over them. When Beth couldn't stand it anymore, she kept trying, explaining to him, "I think his words were something like, 'I want to meet the man my daughter trusts so much to take apartment shopping with her instead of her own father.' At least, something like that."

The silence refused to release its grip. She tried to smooth things over, "Please, Daryl? I know it sucks doing the whole 'meet the parents' thing, but it shouldn't be too bad. Like you said, he's already met you."

"It ain't that," Daryl finally responded. "I ain't been someone's boyfriend in…ever."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Beth waited a beat before asking, clarifying what she thought she'd just heard. "You've never had a girlfriend before?"

"Not really. Had girls, had friends. Never officially had a girlfriend." Beth could imagine him doing air quotes as he said the word.

"How old are you, Daryl?" Beth asked, realizing too late how out of the blue the question sounded.

"Thirty-one. Why? Just how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-two. I was just curious, is all."

"Curious, huh?" Daryl sounded skeptical.

"Yeah," she replied shyly. "I can't understand how no one's snatched you up yet. Someone as sweet and handsome as you?" _Nothing wrong with a little shameless flirting, right?_

"Why does it feel like you're buttering me up?"

"Cause I wanna keep Daddy happy, and he'll be happy if he gets to meet you. Will you come early on Saturday? I'll even make you breakfast."

"I dunno…it'd have to be a damn good breakfast."

"Biscuits, gravy and bacon okay? I'll even make some for Merle," she offered.

Daryl whistled lowly and chuckled, "Man, you must really want me there."

"If it makes you feel any better, I never actually told him you were my boyfriend."

"Why not?" Daryl questioned. He almost sounded hurt.

"Oh! I didn't mean it like that! I just meant…like to take the pressure off."

"You're still my girl, ain'cha?"

"Of course I am, Daryl," Beth said softly.

"Guess I'm yer man, then, huh?"

"Guess so," she said through her smile.

"'S only right to meet yer pa, then. I'll be there. 7:30 okay?"

"7:30 is perfect. Thank you, Daryl."

"Yer welcome."

A much more comfortable silence settled over them. Beth imagined them sitting in her apartment, curled up on the couch, just relaxing against each other. "So…"

"So…?"

"So you think about kissing me, huh?" she let out with a giggle.

"Geez, ya get me to agree to meet yer old man, then you start pulling the big punches."

"Cause I certainly think about kissing you…" Beth's voice lowered. She felt a combination of naughty and bashful as she lazily traced the design on her comforter with her fingernail.

Daryl's voice lowered, too. "Yeah. Me too. I tell ya, Saturday's gonna be rough, spendin' all day with ya and I gotta keep my hands offa ya."

Beth giggled at the thought. "Aww…poor baby. Guess you'll just have to stay later and help me unpack, huh?"

"Mmm…we'll see."

Another weighted silence passed between them.

"I should probably get offa here pretty soon. Got an early morning comin' up."

"Oh," Beth couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Okay, then."

"I'll see ya Saturday?"

"Bright and early," she answered. "Hey Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"I-I-I-I need you, more than anyone darling, you know that I have from the start…" she quietly sang into the phone. She grinned when she heard Daryl out right laughing on the other end.

"G'night, buttercup."

"Don't break my heart," Beth murmured. "G'night."

Saturday finally arrived. Sure enough, Daryl pulled up the driveway on his bike, Merle following behind in his pick-up truck. Beth watched from the kitchen as the Dixon brothers came up the walkway and climbed the steps to the front door. Daryl knocked on the screen door, and before she could make her way out of the kitchen, she heard her father greet the two men and ushered them inside.

Hershel directed Merle toward the kitchen table while he and Daryl went back to his office for a private conversation.

Beth had mixed feelings bubbling up inside her. She was excited that Daryl was here, keeping his promise, making their relationship as official as anyone could ask for; she was nervous, mostly for Daryl, hoping her father wasn't being too tough on him in there. She could just imagine her daddy leaning back against his desk as Daryl sat in one of the chairs facing him, like a scene out of a principal's office, and she giggled to herself.

Merle sauntered into the kitchen. Her nervousness grew as he entered. They'd met once before, but he was so much older than she was and seemed pretty rough around the edges, so she never really made a point to talk to him.

Merle inhaled deeply and sighed loudly, "Smells real good. What we havin?"

Beth looked at him shyly, "Biscuits, gravy and bacon. Working on a fruit salad."

"Damn, lil bit, you must really like mah brother, feedin us like this."

She blushed but turned to meet him full on. "I don't know if we've ever actually been introduced. I'm Beth."

"Merle."

"Nice to meet you. Have a seat. Want some coffee?"

"Sounds good to me."

She poured him a cup and placed it in front of him. "Milk? Sugar?" she offered.

"Nah. Dixon men take their coffee black."

Beth seemed to remember at the little coffee house that Daryl poured a ton of sugar in his cup, but she wasn't about to throw him under the bus to his brother. She kept his secret and went back to work peeling and slicing up the fruit for her salad.

"You known mah brother long?" Merle asked after a few sips of coffee.

"A while. We met through my sister and her boyf…husband. Sorry, it's still kinda new. They just got married a little over a month ago."

"Congrats." Merle looked like he was about to say something else when Hershel and Daryl entered the kitchen.

Beth hurried to fill two more cups of coffee, fixing Hershel's the way she knew he liked it, and pouring a generous amount of sugar into Daryl's, trying to keep it hidden from Merle. "Everything go okay?" she whispered as she set the mug in front of Daryl.

"Mmhmm," was the only response Daryl gave. Hopefully she'd be able to get more out of him as the day went on.

Within minutes, the salad was ready, the gravy had finally thickened enough, and the timer for the biscuits dinged. Beth took the bacon out of the microwave, where it had been staying warm and served the three men heaping plates of breakfast with a bowl of fruit salad each. They all tucked in, not speaking much except to comment how tasty everything was. Annette made her way downstairs and scooped herself a bowl of salad and sat next to her husband. She eyed Daryl approvingly and looked over and winked at Beth, who had been busying herself cleaning up her mess in the kitchen. Beth served herself some food and sat across from Daryl, delighting in just watching him eat the meal she had made, mainly for him, and let herself get carried away with thoughts of making breakfast for just the two of them in her apartment.

Maggie and Glenn finally arrived, greeting everyone warmly, and helped themselves to some breakfast. Everyone chit-chatted as they finished their meal, then the crew set to work.

Beth had already packed almost everything she owned, only leaving out the things she still needed while still living at her parent's house. Her bed and dresser were staying, but everything else in her room was set to move into her new apartment. Everyone worked together, hauling boxes of Beth's belongings and clothes – everyone except Hershel and Annette.

Several months ago, Hershel had been rushed to the hospital with angina. He had affectionately called his wife Nurse Ratched ever since, constantly reminding him to take it easy and keep his heart rate under control. She all but tied him down as the rest of the group worked to load Beth's room into the cars and trucks waiting in the driveway.

Once everything had been loaded up, they all piled into their cars and began the convoy to Beth's apartment. Beth took the lead, followed by Daryl on his bike, then Merle, Maggie and Annette and Hershel bringing up the rear. They started the job of unloading everything and hauling it up the flight of stairs to the apartment. At this point, Hershel was glad to follow Annette's orders and take it easy.

All of the commotion of cars and an eventual delivery truck as Beth's almost-new furniture arrived drew Dale out of his half of the house to greet his new tenant and her friends and family. Hershel and Dale hit it off right away, both of them happy to just be spectators, watching the younger members of the group work and sweat.

After a couple of hours of work, Beth surprised everyone with pizza and soda for lunch. Hershel, Maggie and Daryl all fought her on it, none of them thinking it was right for her to pay for food for seven people, but she wouldn't hear it from anyone. "I owe you guys so much for helping me out today. There's no way I could have done any of this without you. Let me at least thank you with food."

As the number of boxes coming from the vehicles dwindled, Beth, Maggie and Annette began unpacking. It was easy work for the most part. Beth realized she'd need some shelves to hold her knick-knacks and picture frames. Her kitchen sat empty. She stopped unpacking the box she was working on and stared at the bare counter and cabinets, resolving to find a second hand store to pick up some appliances and maybe some dishes to fill them.

Glenn came through the front door carrying a large box Beth didn't recognize, mainly due to the large red bow on the top. Maggie surprised her with a hug from behind. "Happy Homecoming!" she said excitedly. "Thought this would help fill things out around here." Glenn set the box down on the kitchen table and gave Beth a hug when she came to see.

Beth untied the bow and opened the flaps of the box to reveal a set of plates, bowls, and glasses. "Oh my gosh, you guys! You didn't have to do this!"

"Keep going, you're not done," Glenn urged her on.

Beth pulled out all the dishes, putting them in her kitchen cabinets right away and felt along the bottom of the box, which turned out to be a smaller, flat box. She pulled it out and knew immediately what was inside by the tell-tale jingling of metal on metal. She tore open the tape and found a set of silverware inside. "Seriously, Maggie, Glenn, you are the best!" She wrapped her arms around both of them and pulled them into a tight hug. "Thank you so much!"

"Now you just need some pots and pans to cook with to fill them," Annette said with a grin, then put her hands on Beth's shoulders and turned her to face the front door. Hershel was standing there with another box, complete with red bow.

"Really?!" Beth exclaimed. She took the box from her father and placed it on the table, tearing into it and finding baking sheets, a skillet and a set of matching pots and lids. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She hugged each of her parents and kissed them each on the cheek. "Oh my gosh, this is absolutely wonderful."

"You deserve it, Bethy," Hershel smiled at his youngest daughter and kissed her on the top of her head. Annette pulled her in for another hug. "Alright, everyone, let's grab some dinner and head out, let her get settled. Our treat," he said, giving a pointed look at Beth.

They all piled into their cars, Beth riding with her parents, and followed Hershel to a local family restaurant. Annette asked how he'd known about the place, and he explained that Dale had recommended it to him.

Beth felt somewhat obliged to sit in the middle of her family, especially after all their help and gifts to start stocking her kitchen. She caught Daryl's eye every chance she could and offered tiny smiles. Her fingers itched to pull out her phone and text him even though he was a few feet away, but decided that would be incredibly rude to the rest of her family, and so she resisted.

At the end of the meal, everyone went to their cars and parted ways. Beth thanked Merle for all his help as he left, and turned to see Hershel shaking hands with Daryl as he and Annette got into their car and drove off. Beth found herself alone with Daryl in the parking lot. "Wanna ride back?" he offered.

"I thought you'd never ask," Beth said with a smile.

The ride back to her apartment went by far too quickly for Beth. She hated letting go of him, hated the thought of him leaving. It dawned on her this would be her first night in a brand new place, all by herself, and the idea had her a little scared.

"Do you...do you wanna come up for a little bit?" Beth asked, her eyes glued to fingers tying knots around each other.

Daryl planted his feet on the ground and swung his leg over the bike. He lifted Beth's chin with his gentle fingers, bringing her eyes to meet his. "I thought you'd never ask," he grinned and planted a quick kiss on her lips before turning her and guiding her towards the steps to her door, his hand firm and warm on the small of her back.

Beth blushed as she unlocked the door and walked in. She felt like the girl in one of those romantic comedies she and Maggie would always watch, and she knew how this scene was likely to play out. Her fingers shook as she fumbled for the light switch. She quickly crossed to the kitchen table and deposited her purse and keys. She shook out her hands and clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to gain some control over her trembling. "Can I get you some...um...water?" she asked, her face contorting into a grimace. _God, how stupid did that sound?_

Daryl chuckled, "Nah. I'm good, thanks. You okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine," her voice belying the confidence she was trying to exude.

"You sure?"

Beth finally looked up at him, really looked at him, and saw the look of concern on his face. "I'm just a little nervous, I guess."

"Nervous about what?" Beth was incredibly grateful that he was still standing near the door. She needed the space between them. She was about to jump out of her skin as it was; she didn't need Daryl to hear her heartbeat hammering away on top of that. He must have heard her thoughts, because he started to step further into the room. To her relief, Daryl crossed over to the couch and sat down.

Beth leaned against the kitchen table, crossed her arms across her chest and shrugged, her eyes cast downward, "Just kinda freaked out about staying here all by myself. I've never had my own place before." She slowly moved to join Daryl, keeping a safe distance between them. She'd never really been alone with a boy, a man, before. _What was I thinking asking him to come up? _"Daryl, I...I didn't mean to give you the wrong idea..."

"Wrong idea? Beth, what are you talkin' 'bout?" He turned to face her, but didn't move any closer. Beth's pulse slowed down, fractionally.

"I just...I don't mean to lead you on by asking you up here. I know what it sounded like, but..."

"Hey, hey," Daryl said softly, soothingly. "I'm not...expecting anything. We can just hang out. Nothing has to happen. It's okay."

"Really?" Beth questioned, hope making her voice sound higher than normal.

"Really," he looked her square in the eye. He gazed at her, as if he was searching for something, an answer to some question brewing in his mind. "C'mere," he jerked his head, motioning for her to scoot over toward him.

After a moment's pause, Beth shifted closer to Daryl. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer, and kissed the top of her head. He did nothing more than just hold her to his side. Little by little, her nervousness left her, allowing her to breathe normally again.

"Ya found yerself a real nice place, buttercup."

"Thanks." Beth smiled and looked up at him, "I mean it, thank you. You've done so much to help me."

Daryl shrugged, "You're my girl. Ain't I supposed to help you when I can?"

Beth sighed against him, "Hmm...I like when you say that." She snuggled in closer to him, inhaling his scent, a mixture of leather, motor oil, and...something else. Something sweaty and musky and manly and so very him. She moved closer, sliding her arms around his middle, nuzzling her nose against his neck.

Daryl looked down at her with hooded eyes; she peered up at him from beneath her lashes. He didn't move any more than that, putting Beth completely in control of the situation. She recognized what he was doing, for her, for them, and the realization tugged at her heartstrings. She could feel herself falling, and falling hard. She let out a shaky breath and leaned back against the couch, Daryl's arm still draped over her shoulders.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.

"Shoot."

"What all did you and my dad talk about?"

Daryl barked out a quick laugh. "We just talked. Nothing big. Wasn't so bad since he already knows me. He said something about not giving me any grief about my being older." He looked down at her, an undefined emotion filling his expression.

Beth could feel Daryl tense up against her, as if he were fighting to keep himself still. She readjusted herself and leaned forward, pressing her lips to the edge of his jaw, along his cheek, to the corner of his mouth. She laid her hand on his opposite cheek, pulling him gently down to meet her, and kissed him softly. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage. _Why am I so nervous? We've kissed before. _

_Because you're alone with him. No interruptions, no distractions, and nowhere to be._

She moved her lips against his, urging him to kiss her back. Beth knew he was leaving everything up to her, but she was hoping he would play along a little. She teased the seam of his lips with the tip of her tongue, and he opened for her. She hesitantly let her tongue slip into his mouth, tasting him, then pulled back, looking up at him with questioning eyes.

Daryl opened his eyes, his expression full of promise and reassurance. He tightened his grip, ever so slightly, around her shoulders and pulled her carefully closer to him, guiding her back to him. Their lips met, tenderly, tentatively, almost as if they'd never kissed before. Beth supposed they never had, not like this.

The thought spurred her on. She kissed him harder, more fervently, sliding her hands to wrap around his neck. She felt him moving next to her, and suddenly she was weightless as he slipped his arm under her knees, lifting her and placing her across his lap. His hand skimmed around her legs, up her thigh, resting on her waist; their lips remained locked in their kiss, even as his other arm lowered to support her back.

Daryl kept his hands still once they found their place on her; Beth marveled again at his strength and his self-control. His lips were soft, pliant, heaven against hers. He was still putting her in control of how far they went; he was just along for the ride.

Beth pressed herself against him, suddenly not able to get close enough. Their tongues twirled together, caught up in a beautiful dance of teasing and tasting each other. Her hands shifted, threading her fingers through his long, unruly hair. She pulled slightly, curling her fingers as she fisted his hair, and earned a rough moan from him in response. She took it as a sign of encouragement and decided to try something new. Beth pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss long enough to catch a breath, then used her lips to explore, dropping kisses along his cheekbone, down to his jaw, his neck, to where his neck met his shoulder. Feeling brave, she ran a trail of kisses up and down his neck, nuzzling into him as her lips found his collarbone.

"Beth," his hoarse whisper barely audible over their breathing, which, for both of them, had become heavy, almost panting. She looked up at him, unsure of what she'd find when she met his eyes. He was looking at her with a mix of warning, passion, desire, assurance, and...lust? Love? Something was there, some emotion still unknown to her, but she was eager to find out just what it was. "God, you're beautiful," he breathed, his hands coming up to frame her face. He spent a moment just looking at her, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the voice to express it. Instead he planted a sweet kiss against her lips, then let his mouth wander over her skin, much the same way she had done to him mere moments ago.

She sighed as he moved, his slight stubble creating a delicious sensation against her sensitive skin. His mouth never stayed in one place for long; he seemed happy exploring with his lips. Beth gasped loudly as he found her earlobe and pulled it between his lips, applying tantalizing pressure with his teeth. Her gasp evolved into a moan as Daryl raked his teeth against her neck, nipping gently at her skin, only once, before coming back to her mouth, his tongue darting past her lips, taking sudden, momentary control of the kiss. He sucked her bottom lip between his, biting down sweetly, just enough for her to feel the pressure, then released her.

Desire for him pooled in her belly, between her legs, and spread throughout her body. She suddenly wanted to feel his hands all over her, and the idea of him touching places that were as yet untouched only made the feeling stronger. "Daryl," she said breathlessly, surprising herself a little by how different her voice sounded to her own ears. "Do you...um...want to..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, only looked pointedly to the hallway leading to her bedroom, then returning her gaze to his.

Daryl swallowed hard and pulled her for another kiss, this one soft and sweet; Beth knew his answer before he spoke. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, "I want to. Good lord, do I want to, but I don't think it'd be the best idea." Beth couldn't hide the look of disappointment that crossed her features. "Hey," he waited until she met his eyes again, "We'll get there one day, sweetheart. I just think we should take this nice and slow, at least for now." He kissed her again and whispered against her lips. "I'm not going anywhere, darlin'."

Beth leaned back and regarded him, searching for reassurance. "It feels like you're leaving," she said, unable to keep disappointment from leaking from her voice.

"Just for the night, darlin'. I swear, it's all but killing me to stop, but I don't think either of us are ready for..."and he nodded toward the hallway.

Beth figured that the fact neither of them could actually form the words only proved that he was right. She wanted to be ready, but knew she wasn't. She nodded reluctantly and released her hold on his hair, letting her hands drop to her lap. She fought to control the tears threatening to fall, biting on her now trembling lip. She knew he wasn't really rejecting her, but this feeling bubbling up inside her did not feel good at all.

"Don't make that face, baby," he pulled her in for a tight hug. "You're breakin' my heart." He held her for a long, quiet moment. "I hate to say this, I really do, but I think I need to get going."

Beth nodded sullenly and scooted off his lap. She watched as Daryl stood up from the couch and tried to discreetly readjust his pants to hide the obvious bulge growing there. He offered his hands to help her off the couch, which she accepted, and pulled her into another hug. She breathed him in for the last time that night, relishing the feel of him against her, committing every sensation she could to memory before he left.

They parted and Beth walked him to the door. "Thank you for...everything today," she murmured, not quite able to look him in the eye. She knew it was silly, but she felt embarrassed by her suggestion for them to go back to her bedroom. Her awkwardness left her when he pulled her chin between his fingers and brought her to face him for another kiss.

"It was my pleasure," he whispered against her lips, then stood up straight and opened the front door. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" Beth only nodded, not trusting her voice. He kissed her again, firmly, and gave her a scorching look. "G'night, buttercup," he grinned and headed down the stairs.

She followed him outside, staying on the landing as she watched him climb onto his motorcycle. He looked back up at her and waved before starting the engine and pulling out of the driveway. Beth went inside, making sure to lock her door, turned off the lights, and began to get ready for bed. She was lying against her pillows, trying to fall asleep when her phone signaled a text message.

**_Missing you already._**

She grinned widely and typed her response. **_I miss you, too. Thanks again for everything today._**

**_Ain't nothing._**

**_J_****_ You're a really good kisser, you know._**

**_Takes two to tango, darlin'._**

**_When do I get to see you again?_**

**_Not sure. Got a bunch of stuff coming up._**

**_We'll find a time. Don't worry._**

**_Okay._**

**_Good night, Daryl._**

**_Good night, buttercup._**

Beth replaced her phone on the night stand, plugging in her charger, and laid back on her pillow. It was taking all her will power to stop herself from texting him again, telling him just how much she was falling in love with him.

**Good gravy, this chapter was a monster to get done. (Random piece of information for you – when I'm writing this, I usually have my Bethyl playlist going, but this morning I felt like going through the whole library on random. As I was writing the last couple chapters, Lady in Red came on. I took it as a sign to finally end the sucker.) **

**I'm sorry it took so long to get this up and posted. I had some amazing news come up over the weekend, only to have it completely reversed these last two days. It's no excuse, really, since I should have had this done before the weekend, but there it is anyway. Hopefully the 6,000+ words makes up for the delayed update.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review on your way out. Thanks to all my guest reviewers. Wish I could thank you personally! **


	7. Growing

**Chapter 7 - Growing**

The first morning in her new apartment, Beth bounded out of bed, excited to start her day. She still had quite a few boxes to unpack, though some of the boxes would have to remain full until she had shelves to put her books and movies on, her trinkets and little odds and ends that just didn't have a home yet.

She went around her apartment, making a list of what all she still needed. She started in her bedroom and worked her way out: teaching clothes, extra hangers, cleaning supplies for the bathroom, laundry basket, bath mat, toilet paper, nails to hang pictures on the walls, a hammer, shelves, curtains, dish soap, dish towels and wash rags, trash bags, trash can. _Geez, getting an apartment set up is expensive._ She wasn't surprised, but who ever thinks of all the little things? She was more grateful than ever to have such a wonderful family to get her kitchen started. _Ugh, the kitchen...I need to go grocery shopping!_

Beth planned out her day and set out, credit card ready to go. She started with a quick fast food breakfast and headed to the nearest Walmart, figuring it would be the best place to start price-wise. She grabbed all the supplies she needed for the apartment, skipping the grocery shopping for now. There was only so much room in her car, so she resigned to making a second trip just for groceries later in the day.

It took several trips up and down the stairs to empty out her car. She was a sweaty, panting mess by the time she was done unloading everything into the apartment. Ever the optimist, she thought _Yeah, but think of the workout I'll be getting every time I go shopping. My legs are gonna look fantastic! _She set to work putting everything away and getting her apartment to look like a home.

She was glad she'd had the forethought to grab a deli sandwich for lunch while she was out shopping. Her mother had always taught her to never go grocery shopping when she's hungry. Beth thought that piece of advice was particularly fitting when shopping at Walmart, where impulse buys were waiting in every aisle. She made it through the store relatively unscathed, only a pack of cookies and a bottle of wine somehow finding her way into the cart, and made the trip back home. She was exhausted by the time she had all the groceries unloaded from her car, but couldn't let herself relax until everything was put away.

Beth collapsed on the couch, completely bushed. She checked her watch; there were still a couple of hours before dinner time, and she grinned at the prospect of cooking for herself. She briefly wondered if Daryl would want to join her. She typed out a quick text, figuring he wouldn't get it until he was off work. He'd said he had a bunch of stuff coming up, that he'd be busy, but she figured there was no harm in asking.

As she relaxed on the couch, her mind wandered, postulating on just what else he had going on in his life. Maybe he'd picked up extra hours at the garage...or he found a second job. Based on how much she'd always paid for repairs on her car, she thought mechanics made pretty decent money. Why would he need a second job?

Beth shook her head. She was getting awfully nosy. She realized she basically had two jobs, it's just that one of the jobs wouldn't be paying her. Daryl kept pretty tight lipped about his life, only dropping tiny hints here and there about what he did in his free time - hunting - or why he'd gotten into mechanics - he was always good with his hands.

Beth's mind traveled down a wayward path, imagining what his hands would feel like on her. She loved the way his arms felt around her, making her feel so safe and protected. Last night he'd lifted her to sit in his lap then ran his hand up her thigh to hold her along her waist. As her thoughts went back in time, she swore she could still feel him touching her, the warmth from his hands seeping through her clothes. She was grateful that he'd stopped them when he did. She knew she wasn't ready for sex, and fell in love with him all over again for always...

_Oh my God!_

Beth sat bolt upright. Was she in love with Daryl? She definitely liked him, way more than a crush, but love? No. No, it was way too soon to even think about love.

And yet, there it was.

She did care about him very much, and missed him the moment he'd leave her. He was the first person she wanted to talk to in the morning and the last person she thought of at night.

_Sounds a lot like love, buttercup._

She blushed, feeling kind of stupid for doing so since she was alone in her apartment. Her mind was still reeling when her phone chirped beside her.

**_I'd love to come over for dinner, but can't tonight._**

**_Raincheck?_**

**_ That's two dinners you owe me now._**

She sighed heavily when her message went unanswered again. _Stupid schedules_, she grumbled to herself. She couldn't blame him, though. She knew he worked incredibly hard at his job. It wasn't his fault that her student teaching wouldn't start until tomorrow.

_Geez! Tomorrow!_ A new wave of excitement rushed through her as the realization sunk in. Beth jumped off the couch and went through her closet, deciding which outfit to go with for her first day as a...sort of...teacher. She settled on khaki capris and a cute top with sandals to match. She wasn't sure just how much her cooperating teacher would have her do during the first day, but would rather be ready to step in if she needed to. Beth had butterflies the size of Montana fluttering around in her stomach as she thought about getting a start on her teaching career. Maybe she'd be able to calm them down with some dinner.

She made herself dinner, feeling slightly bummed that she was eating alone. _Come on now, Beth. You're a big girl. You can eat dinner all by yourself and not need to throw your own pity party._

After dinner she decided to throw in one of her favorite movies to calm herself down before bed. She was so keyed up about starting student teaching tomorrow, plus thoughts of Daryl and her recent self-discovery, there was no way she'd fall asleep any time soon, and she needed sleep before her big day tomorrow. The movie helped to calm her nerves, taking her mind of things for a while.

That is, she was calm until she walked into her bedroom and saw her outfit for tomorrow setting out and all the nervousness came flooding back. Beth tried breathing deeply to calm herself down and set to getting ready for bed. She was brushing her teeth when her phone chimed.

**_Yes ma'am._**

**_Why, Daryl. So formal._**

**_Yeah. That's me. _**

**_I didn't wake you, did I?_**

**_No. just getting ready for bed._**

**_Oh, okay. Good luck tomorrow._**

**_I know you'll do great._**

**_Thanks. I'm super nervous._**

**_Nah. You'll be fine. The kids'll love you._**

Beth's heart skipped a beat when she saw that four-letter word. _Calm down. He didn't say _he_ loves you. _

**_Well, I should probably get some sleep._**

**_Alright, buttercup._**

**_Sweet dreams._**

Beth thought for a moment. Could she wish him sweet dreams back? Was that too girly? With a grin she replied, **_Only if they're of you._**

_Ha! Take that, Dixon. _She imagined him blushing at her response. She settled into bed and turned out the bedside lamp.

Her phone chirped one last time. She blinked against the brightness of the screen.

**_Here's hoping. G'night, Beth. _**

**_:-* :-* :-*_**

Dammit. He won again. She sighed heavily, feeling her face flush as she tried to think of sleepy thoughts.

Beth's eyes snapped open at the sound of her alarm. She still felt tired, but was far too excited to start her day to even think about staying in bed. She'd set the alarm so she would have plenty of time to get ready and get to school nice and early to meet with her cooperating teacher and find out what was expected of her. She had been e-mailing back and forth with Mrs. Shelor since she got her student teaching assignments. Beth had explained that she was moving into her new apartment and wouldn't have an internet connection for a while. Mrs. Shelor seemed to be understanding about everything and even wished her luck with the new apartment. Beth pulled up to the elementary school and found a parking spot in the front, excited to finally put a face to the name of her cooperating teacher.

She reported to the school office first. Her mentor at college had advised all the students in her student teaching seminar to make friends with the school secretaries and janitors. She waited patiently at the counter, not wanting to disturb the secretary from what she was doing. Finally the other woman looked up, "Oh, hi hon! How can I help you?"

"Hi," Beth returned the woman's warm smile. "I'm Beth Greene. I'm student teaching with Mrs. Shelor."

The older woman's smile widened as she came over to the counter, "Oh, okay. Nice to meet you. I'm Kathy," she held her hand out. Beth shook it, instantly feeling welcome. Kathy didn't look or act like any of the secretaries from her school days. They were all very matronly and stern, as far as she could recall, anyway. Kathy had a sassy hair style and the fashion sense to match. Beth immediately liked her. "Let me go and get Mrs. Hughes, our principal."

Kathy briskly walked to the far side of the office and knocked on the door jamb. She ducked her head in and murmured something, then returned to her desk. "She'll be right with you."

A moment later, a stern looking woman came through the doorway, "Beth Greene," she greeted Beth and offered a firm hand shake. "It's good to have you at our school."

Beth smiled nervously, "Thank you, Mrs. Hughes."

"Please, call me LuAnne. You're a colleague now, not a student." Her smile was reassuring.

Beth relaxed a little. "I'm really excited to get started."

"I'm glad to hear that. Good luck today. Susie's a great teacher, you'll learn a lot from her," LuAnne replied.

_Oh, I like her,_ Beth thought to herself. LuAnne seemed very no nonsense but compassionate as well. Minute by minute, her nervousness began to fade.

As LuAnne returned to her office, Kathy came back to the counter, presenting Beth with a name tag and a folder with information about the school. "I'm not sure if Susie's here yet or not, but her door should be unlocked at least." She gave Beth directions to the music room and wished her luck once again.

Beth made her way down the halls and found the music room, relieved to find the lights already on and who she assumed to be Mrs. Shelor quickly moving around the front of the room, setting up for the day. She knocked on the door and walked in. The woman turned around and smiled, "Hi! I'm guessing you're Beth."

She smiled widely, "That's me! Nice to finally meet you in person." Beth walked to the front of the room and shook the woman's hand. She looked around the room and found it to be well organized with different centers for keyboards, computers, percussion – you name it this classroom had it. "I love your room!" Beth exclaimed.

"Thanks. It's taken lots of years and lots of grant writing to get to this point," she looked around her own room appreciatively. "Well, let's go over the plans for today."

They walked through the lesson plans, all carefully organized with materials set out. Susie explained that since the students had already been in class for a week, she wanted to introduce Beth slowly as their student teacher, so at first she just wanted her to observe until she caught the flow of the lesson plans. "I would rather have more hands on things for them to do rather than doing things out of the books, which are incredibly outdated anyway. We do a lot of songs and games that I've gotten from workshops over the years. You'll catch on to them quickly, but I won't make you stand up here with me until you're comfortable enough to lead them." Beth was grateful for that.

They started talking about goals for the quarter, setting up a basic timeline so that by the end of the nine weeks, Beth would be running all lesson plans for all classes. The thought seemed daunting at first, but Susie seemed to have confidence in her and reminded her that she'd be here for back up if Beth ever needed it. "That's getting a little ahead of ourselves. Your first big decision is do you want them to call you Miss Beth or Miss Greene?"

"Um…Miss Greene, I guess." At this age it didn't really matter to her, but once she got to secondary, she'd want that recognition of title, if anything so she could at least feel older than the high schoolers she'd be teaching, rather than just the four years older than she really was.

Before she knew it, morning announcements were coming through the loud speaker and soon after, their first class of the day came in. Beth watched in awe as Susie transitioned from one thing to another flawlessly. _Wow…I can really learn a lot from her._ The classes flew by and all too soon it was lunch time. Beth followed Susie to the teacher's lounge, where she met several more teachers. With trying to learn a few hundred student names, she wondered how she'd remember all the teachers' names, too. _Guess that's all part of being a teacher…instant name memorization_.

The day went on, one class after another. Even though Beth was just sitting and watching, she was captivated by the seamless lesson plans Susie had prepared and how well the students all responded to her. If she had to pick a favorite, it would be the kindergarteners, so cute and willing to learn, and so easily distracted, all of them wanting to tell their little stories. She decided that would be the grade level she'd want to take over first, and made a mental note to talk to Susie about it.

After the last of their classes had returned to their homeroom, Beth helped Susie clean up and set up for tomorrow. "We'll have all different classes tomorrow. Unfortunately, this will be a slow week for you, just observing, but don't worry," Susie said with a smile, "You'll be plenty busy in no time. What'd you think?"

"Um, you're amazing!"

Susie laughed out loud. "Well, thank you. I've had lots of practice. You'll get there, don't freak out just yet."

"Oh, I'm not freaking. Just…there's so much to take in that college classes didn't even mention."

Susie nodded her head, "I felt the same way. Anyway, how's the apartment?"

Beth grinned, "It's good! Got all moved in and then spent a small fortune getting things set up inside, but…yeah…it's nice. Kind of weird being alone, though."

"Glad to hear it. New places always take some getting used to. I remember my first apartment. I don't think I got a good night's sleep for a good month or so after I moved in."

Beth cringed at the thought of not sleeping well for that long. She hoped it wouldn't take her a whole month to get used to her new place. "Yikes! Do you need anything else to get ready for tomorrow?"

"No, I think we're good to go. If you want to come early again and we can keep talking about how to set up lesson plans. I know they tell you how to set them up in your classes, but, well, mine make sense," she finished with a smirk.

Beth giggled, "Okay. I'll be here. See you tomorrow!"

When Beth arrived back at her apartment, she found a large box sitting outside her door. Upon further inspection, she found there was no address label, just a handwritten note taped to the top, holding the top flaps together: "Open Me," in very masculine handwriting. Her gut instinct had her grinning; she was pretty sure she knew who had dropped it off without any kind of return address.

She opened the door and picked up the box carefully, bringing it inside and setting it on the kitchen table. She took off the note and the flaps popped open. Looking inside Beth found a beautiful yellow orchid plant in a terra cotta pot. She pulled it out of the box carefully and found another note taped to the lip of the pot.

_Thought maybe you'd want something to help brighten up your apartment, and it turns out buttercups don't do great inside. Didn't know what kind of planter you'd want. Guess I owe you one of those, too. The lady said to keep this inside, water it every couple days, don't drown it. _

_ Congratulations on your first day of teaching. _

_ Daryl_

Her heart was pitter-pattering rapidly in her chest and at the same time completely melting into a puddle. Beth found a spot on her kitchen counter where the orchid would get sunlight. The potting soil filling the flower pot was already pretty moist, so she decided to put off watering it until tomorrow. She returned to the large box, pulling out a smaller, white, house shaped box. Inside was an adorable dark brown teddy bear with a black leather jacket and a too cute pair of jeans with the bear's little tail sticking out of the back. Beth laughed out loud as she hugged it to her chest, feeling its soft, almost shaggy fur against her chin. She all but skipped to her bedroom and placed him against her pillows and came back to the boxes on the table. She found the bear's "birth certificate" in the smaller box, smiling as she read it. "Barry." She giggled as she thought of Daryl going through the little factory and picking everything out for her, holding the little plastic heart and making a wish. Oh, what she would have done to have seen him, Mr. Tough Guy, going through the store, surrounded by kids and their mommies. Her heart was absolutely floating with giddiness. She scrambled through her purse for her phone.

She called Daryl, whose number was now saved in her speed dial list, knowing full well he wouldn't answer, and that was alright with her. She got a tiny jolt of amusement as she heard his outgoing message: "Hey, it's Daryl. Lee-me-a message. Bye." It was short and to the point, and that growly southern drawl sent a thrill through her body. "Hi, Daryl, it's Beth. You are seriously the sweetest guy on the planet. Thank you so much for the flowers and the bear. I absolutely love them. I guess, um, call me when you have a minute to talk." She bit down on her tongue, stopping herself just in time from adding an "I love you" to the message, instead saying, "Umm…bye."

Beth took the certificate back to her bedroom and placed it on top of her dresser before flopping onto her bed, cuddling close with Barry. She caught a whiff of the faux leather jacket and was reminded of the day Daryl had driven her around hunting for apartments; the smell of his leather jacket with the wings embroidered on the back. She sighed, and realized she'd been doing that a lot lately.

Yeah…Beth felt herself falling, and falling hard, in love with Daryl Dixon.

The next thing she knew, Beth was sitting bolt upright, jolted awake by the sound of her phone ringing on the kitchen table. Bringing Barry with her, she darted through the apartment and answered just before voicemail picked up. "Hello?" she croaked out, trying her hardest not to sound out of breath.

"Hey there, buttercup."

Beth looked at the clock. 5:01. He had just gotten off work. "Hey there yourself," she smiled.

"Ya alright? Your voice sounds weird."

"I'm fine. I must have dozed off." Beth was silently pleased that he noticed a change in her voice.

"Oh. Alright. Worn out from your big day?"

"Something like that." Seriously, how could she be so tired after just sitting all day?

"So, sweetest guy on the planet, huh? Do I get some kind of award for that?"

"You mean the title alone isn't enough?" she teased.

"Didn't say that. Just asking."

"I think I can work something out. Thank you so much, Daryl. The flowers are beautiful and Barry…he's just so handsome."

"Ya like 'em? I wasn't sure you would."

"Of course I do!" Beth exclaimed incredulously. "What girl wouldn't like flowers and stuffed animals from her man?"

Daryl mumbled, "Oh, I can think of someone," under his breath, almost low enough that Beth didn't hear it. Before she could question it, Daryl continued, "How's the apartment?"

"Good. I got almost everything unpacked, just some stuff that needs to go on shelves. Speaking of, can I ask you a favor?"

He gave an exaggerated sigh, "What now?" he asked, his voice melodramatic.

Beth giggled, "Well, I've got the shelves, but I don't have a level to make sure I put them up right. I was hoping my big, burly, manly boyfriend would be able to help me out?"

Daryl chuckled, "Alright. I got a busy couple days, but I'll figure something out and get you set up."

"Thank you, Daryl," Beth used her most sickeningly sweet voice. She wondered if he could hear her batting her eyelashes through the phone.

"You're welcome. So how was school today?"

Beth relayed the highlights of her day, telling him how nice the other teachers were, how great a teacher Susie was, how sweet the kids were. "I can't wait to really get my feet wet. I think this first week might kill me just sitting and watching."

Daryl chuckled at her. "Ya little go-getter you. Sounds like you've got a good thing going there."

"Yeah. I'm really excited about it! You should see these kindergarteners. They just steal your heart, they're all so cute."

"I'm sure they do," he cleared his throat. "Hey, listen, I don't have anything going Friday night. Can I take you out for dinner, celebrate your first week of teaching?"

"I'm not really teaching yet, Daryl. Just observing."

"Well, maybe I just wanted to take my girl out." He sounded genuinely hurt.

The line was quiet for a minute, and Beth mentally kicked herself. He was trying to be sweet and actually ask her on a date and she had to be flippant about it? "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I would love to go to dinner with you, Daryl."

Another few seconds of silence ticked by before he spoke again. "Well, don't let me put you out or anything." The tone of his voice broke her heart.

"Oh, Daryl, I'm sorry. Please, forget I said anything. It was stupid. I didn't mean I didn't want to go, I just meant I don't think me sitting and watching someone else work all week is cause for celebration. Please, Daryl, don't be mad at me." Tears were starting to prick the backs of her eyes. She sniffled them back.

"Not sure I could stay mad at you even if I was," he murmured. "Friday it is. Where do you wanna go?"

Beth released the breath she'd been holding, partially to keep from crying and partially in anticipation of Daryl's response. Her voice came out shaky, "Wherever you want. I trust you."

"Alright, darlin'. Hey, I gotta get going home. I'll talk to you later?"

"Oh. Okay. I'm really sorry, Daryl."

"Don't worry about it, buttercup. I'll talk to you soon."

Beth's heart was nearly bursting, wanting to tell him that she loved him, but knew it was way too early to bring it up. Instead, she just said, "Talk to you soon. Bye, Daryl," and hung up.

**I'm trying, really trying to get back to my normal schedule with all these stories. With school picking up and everything, I just don't have the time to write like I did over the summer. I'll update when I can, and I'll always keep the rotation the same (Lady, Summer, Second Chance). I've got a couple little one-shots that have been bouncing around in my head (though I'm reluctant to put them up because for some reason all my one-shots turn into full-blown stories and I just can't start any others right now). **

**Thanks for all the followers and reviewers so far! I get a lot of reviews saying you love how sweet everything is and how romantic Daryl is. I feel I owe it to you to warn you, it's not going to be all happy times for these two, and some definite bumps in the road are on their way in the upcoming chapters. Stay tuned!**

**I love getting messages and reviews from you all - please keep them coming. Or if you want to talk about the show (oh my GOSH this season is amazing so far!) I'm always up for "talking shop." Follow me on tumblr and twitter - same screen name on all three. **


	8. Impatience

**Lady in Red – Chapter 8**

The days flew by in a blur for Beth, and yet Friday couldn't get there fast enough. Each day at school was more of the same, just observing as Mrs. Shelor ran her lesson plans. Beth understood why it was necessary, but she couldn't help being bored just watching. She couldn't wait to start working with the kids. After school on Friday, she and Susie started planning what classes she'd be "taking over". She was excited to begin with the little kindergarteners, even if it was just to do the little warm-ups before class really started. As the week went on, she'd be running warm ups for all classes, and that suited her just fine.

Beth had told Susie about her date with Daryl, not able to contain her excitement. Beth still didn't have any idea where they were going, but she wasn't worried. Susie smiled warmly as they got ready to leave for the weekend, wishing her luck.

When Beth got home, she worked on her school journal, making notes of what she had observed so far, thinking back on the past week. While she was supposed to be concentrating on her school week, she couldn't help but think of Daryl. She was worried about Daryl always having something going that they couldn't see each other during the week. She knew she was being a little selfish, that he had a life outside of her, just like she had one outside of him. Still, her curiosity was getting the better of her, and her vivid imagination was not helping matters any. She forced herself to calm down all week, convincing herself that it was all in her head, but there was still that niggling feeling in the back of her mind that told her something was going on, and she might not like it.

_Well, I'll have him sitting right in front of me in just a few hours,_ she thought. _Now I just can't lose my nerve to ask him._

When she'd finished journaling for the week, Beth started to get ready for their date. She wasn't sure what to wear since she still didn't know where they were going, and Daryl hadn't even told her if it was a casual place or not. She went with a cute floral print skirt and a simple button down shirt with cute strappy sandals. She ran a curling iron through her long blonde locks and pinned them back, creating a cascade of curls flowing down her back. She applied some mascara, eye shadow, and some shimmery lip gloss and gave herself one last approving look in the mirror before heading to the living room to wait on the couch.

It was past 6:30 and Beth was starting to get anxious. It didn't help that she didn't have anything to distract her, to make the time go by faster. She hadn't had a ton of time to look at cable companies to get set up in her apartment. She tried reading a book, one of her favorites, but the words just swam in front of her face, never really registering, so she'd have to reread each paragraph two or three times. She slammed the book down impatiently on the couch next to her. She had already called him twice, but both calls went straight to voicemail. She figured any texts would go unanswered, as well.

Where the heck was he?

The least he could do was call before he left, let her know a ball park guess of when he'd be arriving. The longer Beth sat, the more she thought, and fumed. She checked the clock again. 6:40. _Seriously?!_

The clock ticked past 6:45 and Beth got up to change into her jammies, ready to call in for Chinese and call it a night. Just as she crossed through the doorway to her room, she heard a knock on her front door. She stormed over and flung the door open, ready with a tongue lashing that would cast him into next week.

The sight of Daryl standing there in a crisp button down shirt and jeans stopped her in her tracks. The look on his face was one of complete contrition and nearly stopped her heart. He gazed up at her through his shaggy hair, his blue eyes piercing straight through to her heart. He looked tired and worn, like he'd just been through the wringer. Without even thinking twice, all the angry thoughts flew out of her head as she reached out to hug him and bring him inside. "Daryl, what's wrong?" she asked once she had closed the door behind him and slipped back into his arms.

Daryl did nothing but hold her for several moments. He finally sighed deeply, "It's just been a long ass day…a long ass week. Two guys called in sick today so I was pretty much on my own and the boss had me stay late. Then more shit came up that I had to deal with right away and my phone died…guess I forgot to charge it last night. Then I got caught in fuckin' traffic…I'm so sorry I made you wait, Beth." She hugged him tighter, as if she could somehow squeeze the sorrow out of his voice. "God dammit!" he said angrily. Beth leaned back and looked up at him worriedly. His eyes were focused somewhere behind her. "I forgot the damn level. I can fuck anything up."

All the frustration that had been building within her moments ago had been completely replaced by sympathy and compassion. She snuggled into his chest, pulling him tightly to her. She could feel his heart beating beneath her cheek. She moved her hands up over his chest, linking her fingers behind his neck. Beth turned her head to kiss his jaw, then his cheek, then planted a soft kiss against his lips. She tilted his head towards hers and pressed her forehead against his, then pulled back again to look up into his sad, almost fearful eyes. "It's okay, Daryl. Really, it's okay." She let up on his neck and loosened her grip on him. "Are you sure you wanna still go out tonight? We could just stay in and order out, just relax together."

Daryl shook his head, "No. I've been promising you I'd take you out. 'Sides, you deserve to be taken out, especially looking the way you do." His eyes danced between hers and softened a little as his gaze roamed over her. He brought up a hand to twirl one of her curls around his fingers. "You look beautiful." His voice was almost a whisper, full of emotion.

Beth's heart flip-flopped in her chest and a nervous smile stretched across her face. "You look really nice, too, Daryl." Her fingers absently smoothed his collar and the shoulders of his shirt then trailed down over his torso before she backed out of his embrace. She took a deep calming breath in and asked, "So, where are we going?"

Daryl looked down at her, "Chinese okay?" his eyebrows curved with apprehension.

She couldn't contain the laugh that had bubbled up and out of her mouth. "How did you know?"

His brow furrowed in confusion, "Know what?"

Beth looked down at her fingers, nervously knotting them together then back up to meet his worried stare. "Well," she stammered, "I kind of started thinking that you might not show up tonight. I was just about ready to say 'Screw it,' and order Chinese for myself."

Daryl's face fell. "Shit, I'm really sorry Beth." He looked like he was about to continue, but Beth cut him off.

"Hey, it's okay," she tried to soothe his obviously frayed nerves. "You're here now. That's all that matters. Come on," she said, grabbing her purse. "Let's get going. I'm hungry," she grinned up at him playfully and kissed him quickly on the lips.

They stepped out onto the landing of her steps. As Beth locked the door behind her, they heard thunder rumbling in the distance. "Hey, um..." Daryl began, looking up at the darkening sky, "with you looking like ya do and the sky looking like that, I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't take the bike tonight. I know I'm s'posed to be taking you out, but um," he looked back to her sheepishly, "would you mind driving tonight?"

"That's fine, I don't mind," Beth said as she turned and headed down the steps with Daryl following her. She walked over to her car and was surprised to find Daryl was no longer behind her. Startled, she looked around, searching for him and saw he had gone to his motorcycle, pulling a dark gray cover from one of the side compartments and working to drape it over the handlebars and stretching it over the seat, pulling the sides so they hung down to the ground, protecting the bike from any rain that might fall. Once he finished, he walked back up the driveway and folded himself into the passenger seat of Beth's car.

She tried to hold back her giggle. "You can move the seat back if you need to," seeing how uncomfortable he must be in her tiny car.

"Yeah, I might do that," his voice strained. His knees were almost up to his chest, not looking the least bit comfortable.

Beth watched a moment as he fumbled around to find the lever to scoot the seat back. "Here," she offered, taking pity on him. She reached between his legs, inadvertently pressing her breast against his thigh. She found the lever and lifted it, causing the seat to fly backwards suddenly, surprising them both. "Better?"

Daryl looked down at her hand, now resting on the seat between his legs. "Yeah, uh…thanks," he muttered. His eyes met hers. Beth was slightly taken aback at the heat blazing in the crystalline blue depths.

Beth retracted her hand and started the car. "Where to, Mr. Dixon?" She caught his grin and followed his directions through town.

From the outside, the restaurant didn't look all that impressive. The faded sign only read, "China Restaurant," and posted the hours, though more than a few letters were missing from the marquee. Inside wasn't much better; most benches in the booths lining the walls had cracks and tears in the vinyl seats; the paint on the chairs was chipped and peeling. Despite being dinner time on a Friday night, the place was almost empty. Beth gave Daryl a skeptical look, which he returned with a smirk and a wink. The hostess, a tiny woman with jet black hair, came over to seat them. Daryl offered his arm, which Beth took, reminiscent of when they walked the aisle at Maggie and Glenn's wedding, and followed the woman to a table. Daryl held her chair out for Beth, making her giggle, then sat on the adjacent side.

Beth looked around, taking in the décor, complete with the obligatory paintings of bamboo forests and pandas, koi ponds, and dragons. "So…come here often?" she joked, as she picked up her menu.

Daryl scoffed and shook his head. "No. It's a little out of the way for me."

It dawned on Beth that she didn't know where he lived. "Out of the way? How far off do you live?"

The waitress came by to take their drink orders and retreated to the tiny bar to fill them. Daryl looked back at Beth and gave her a little smile. "I'm not far from your dad's actually. I'm not exactly on the same end of town as him, but…" he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders.

Beth blinked at him. "Daryl! Oh my gosh, I didn't realize. You seem to know your way around up here, so I just assumed you lived nearby."

Daryl shook his head. "Nah. Used to. Moved back down south not too long ago." Beth waited for him to continue, but he didn't, and she didn't want to push the subject. Eventually he added, "'t's why I can't ever come over for dinner. By the time I get off work and get all the grease off me and get up here, it'd easily be 6:30 or 7. I don't want you to have to wait on me to eat."

"I wouldn't mind. You're worth the wait, Daryl," Beth said sincerely, lowering her menu to show him she was giving her full attention.

"You know," Daryl continued their conversation, "if ya woulda stayed at yer parent's house, we'd be a lot closer. Not complainin', I'm just sayin'"

Beth giggled and answered, "Yeah, but if I was still at my parent's house, you still wouldn't be coming over as much anyway. If you did, we'd have to be on our very best behavior." She noticed a slight blush creep into his cheeks just as the tiny waitress returned with their beverages and to take their dinner orders. "Oh my gosh, I haven't hardly looked at my menu."

Beth was caught off guard and was having a hard time deciding what she wanted. Daryl asked, "Do ya like spicy?" She nodded. "Chicken, beef, pork or seafood?"

"Chicken's fine," she answered.

Daryl winked and said, "Trust me," and turned to the waitress. "An order of hot braised chicken, an order of sweet and sour chicken." He turned back to Beth. "Egg rolls or crab rangoon?"

Beth decided, "Crab rangoon." She was a little thrown having someone order for her. No one had done that for her since she was little. There was something romantic about it, though; Daryl was once again taking care of her, and his donning this take charge attitude was kind of a turn on. She smiled as the waitress nodded and ran off to place their order. Once she was gone, Beth started, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Daryl responded, bringing his beer bottle to his lips.

"Well, you're a mechanic, right? Do you do anything else?"

He lowered his bottle and shook his head. "No..." his answer was almost a question, his tone clearly one that indicated he was trying to figure out where she was going with this.

"You aren't, like, an office manager or shift leader or anything like that?"

"Nope. Just a mechanic." His eyes narrowed as he set down his bottle and leaned his elbows on the table.

"I'm sorry," Beth worried that she was crossing some sort of line of privacy. His body language was screaming that he was becoming upset by the topic. _I haven't asked anything super personal. What's the problem?_ She pressed on, "Well, you always say you've got meetings to go to after work, and I can't help but wonder...what goes on at a mechanic's meeting?"

Daryl instantly relaxed, even laughed a little with relief. "Well, we do have meetings about safety recalls and schedules and things like that, but..." he trailed off, then cleared his throat and began again. "I guess I should have told you up front. Don't exactly like talking about it much. I, uh...I go to NA and AA meetings."

Beth's eyes widened in near shock then flickered questioningly to the beer he had just pulled a sip from. Daryl must have noticed where she was looking and laughed again and took her hand in his. "I'm a sponsor, Beth. Merle...he was going down a real dangerous road and his old lady, Carol, told him to get his ass some help or she'd leave him. I owe him a lot...it's the least I could do."

Beth suddenly didn't care if they were in public or not; she had the urgent desire to kiss him then and there. Her heart as so full of love for this man beside her, and at the same time was melting into a puddle of emotions. She pulled her hand from his and grabbed his elbow, tugging on it, bringing him close so she could kiss him. She felt him readjust, as she had caught him off balance, and smiled against him before sealing her lips over his again. She leaned back, only slightly, and whispered, "You are the most amazing man." Her eyes met his and she could see a mixture of pride, relief, doubt, and...some other deep hidden emotion that surfaced only briefly before hiding itself away again.

The waitress surprised them both when she returned with a tray full of food. Beth helped herself to some of the sweet and sour chicken and veggies then took a couple pieces of the hot braised chicken. She felt Daryl's gaze upon her as he watched her take a cautious first bite. Her teeth crunched into the sauce covered but still crispy breading and further into the juicy meat beneath it. The sauce had a certain sweetness to it, mixed with just the hint of a tartness. She hummed approvingly and swallowed. "That's not so...oh, there it is." The back of her throat started to warm and tingle, the hidden heat revealing itself, "Oh my gosh is that good! I think I have a new favorite."

Daryl smiled widely at her as he dug in to his own plate of food. Beth giggled as she watched him eat, shoveling heaping forkfuls into his mouth, barely swallowing before he took the next bite. "Got somewhere to be?" she asked, taking another bite of the secretly spicy food.

He looked up at her guiltily and swallowed, wiping his mouth on his napkin. "Sorry," he said, straightening in his chair, "force of habit."

"It's fine," Beth grinned and followed the urge to rest her hand upon his arm. Their eyes met, and there was that heat in his gaze again. She blushed and looked away and took back her hand, pretending to suddenly be interested in her crab Rangoon. "Do you eat on the run a lot?"

"Something like that," Daryl muttered. "Ain't always a good idea to take your time eating when your hungr...hunting," he corrected, quickly looking back to his plate. "Don't get much of a lunch break at the garage, either."

"Oh." Beth pondered on his words for a moment. _Should I ask? Why not? He doesn't have to answer if he doesn't want to._ "Did you say hunting? Or hungry?" Daryl only lowered his head so his chin almost touched his chest. Beth set down her fork and turned in her chair to fully face him, took his large hand in both of hers. He looked almost...ashamed. "Daryl...talk to me. Please?"

As much as she tried, she couldn't get him to look up at her. His shoulders were shrugged, tensing up. He finally released the breath he'd apparently been holding. "Had a pretty shitty childhood. Most days we didn't get three squares to eat. Hell, we were lucky to get one sometimes. My dad was always pissed off over something, can't remember a time he wasn't drunk or high. Never wanted to linger at the table. Just eat and high tail it outta there before he got half a mind to..." he trailed off. "Merle taught me to hunt, how to set up camp. Kept me fed and out of the house."

Beth could understand why Daryl felt he owed his brother so much, and couldn't blame him. She stared at him, this man who always seemed so strong and confident but who ended up having insecurities just like she did. She somehow knew he didn't want to hear that she felt sorry for him, but she couldn't just sit there in silence, and didn't want to move on as if nothing happened. "I'm glad you had Merle there for you. It had to be hard, growing up like that." Her thumbs smoothed over the rough skin covering his knuckles before releasing his hand. She wanted to ask him so many more questions, but he did not look in the mood to delve any deeper into his past than he already had. "This food is delicious, Daryl. Thank you for taking me here."

Daryl peeked up at her and grinned, a certain relief in his features now that the conversation was no longer focused on him. They chatted back and forth through the rest of the meal, as if they hadn't talked every night this past week. Both finished up their meals, not leaving any leftovers. The waitress brought them the check and two fortune cookies.

Beth picked up both cookies and made a show of selecting which one she wanted before handing Daryl his. "You first," she smiled.

Daryl rolled his eyes then unwrapped the cookie and cracked it open. He cleared his throat and read, "The current year will bring you much happiness."

"In bed," Beth added with a wicked grin. Daryl looked at her in shock. "What? You never done that before? Where you add 'in bed' to the end of your fortune?"

"No," he said quietly.

"Now Daryl. You're telling me you've never played the "In bed" game?" she teased with mock incredulity until she realized what she'd just said. She was glad they were both blushing. She swallowed and plowed on, opening her own cookie. "My turn. Let's see... 'You will find true happiness just around the corner.'" She glanced up at Daryl and tried to control her blush.

"In bed," his voice sounded low and sinful; Beth's heart was threatening to leap right out of her chest. Daryl took out his wallet, producing a credit card and nodded in the direction of the cash register. Beth followed him, her knees knocking the whole way there. He paid the bill and guided her out the door, placing his hand on the small of her back.

When they reached her car, Daryl walked with her to the driver's side. Beth went to open her door, but Daryl took her hand and turned her to face him. Without any warning, he cupped her face and dropped his lips onto hers, claiming her mouth with his tongue. He stepped even closer to her, pressing her against her car door. Beth could only hold on to the sides of his shirt, her arms nearly pinned to her sides by his.

When he pulled away, they were both panting for breath, electricity sparking between them, their eyes fixed on each other, Beth's wide with wonder, Daryl's speaking the words he couldn't form on his own. Beth recognized immediately what he was trying to convey; he wanted her, badly, and she felt very much the same way. The realization had her wanting to kiss him again, to take him back to her apartment and see where things went.

Daryl beat her to the punch, dropping another sweet kiss on her already swollen lips then forcing himself away from her. Beth opened her mouth to protest, not letting go of his shirt, but he stopped her. "Don't worry, buttercup. The night's not over yet. Come on, let's get outta here." He reached behind her and opened the door for her, helping her into her seat and leaning in for another quick kiss before walking around to his side of the car.

Beth started up the car and prepared to make the turn to head back to her apartment, the butterflies filling her stomach matched by the fluttering of her heart. She was about to pull into traffic when Daryl stopped her. "Hey, take a right here. Date's not over yet." Intrigued, Beth grinned at him and changed direction. She followed his directions leading them to a bar not far from the restaurant.

When Beth parked and got a good look at the sign, she knew just what he was up to. "Oh my god! Karaoke?"

"I did say I'd take you here, be yer bodyguard," he reminded her. "C'mon. Let's get you signed up." He get out of the car and met her outside her car door. Once she was standing, he slipped his arm around her, his hand resting on her hip, and together they walked into the bar.

It wasn't as crowded as Beth had imagined it would be, but she supposed it was still pretty early for a Friday night crowd. They found a small table, where Daryl deposited her and then went to the bar to get drinks for the both of them. A woman came over with her arms full of binders, dropping one off for Beth to look through. She was still thumbing through the list of songs when Daryl returned. "Find anything ya wanna sing?"

"Yeah, I have a couple ideas," Beth answered. "What about you? Are you gonna sing something?"

Daryl grimaced, "Nah...I don't think that's such a great idea." He took a pull from his beer and added, "Wouldn't wanna upstage ya," and winked at her mischievously.

"Oh really? Well, you're on, Dixon! Come on, pick something. Please? For me?" she playfully begged

Daryl shook his head and rolled his eyes, but eventually pulled the binder so it sat between the two of them, casually looking at the song titles. Once they had both made their choices and written them down on the provided slips of paper, Daryl walked them up to the karaoke booth.

When he came back to their table, he sat back, scooting her chair closer to his, and draped his arm along the back of it. Beth leaned into him, a movement that felt natural to her. "I'm having a really nice time, Daryl," she spoke into his ear, making sure she was heard over the din of the other noisy patrons.

He leaned over to her, "Me, too. It's been a long time since I got to take a pretty girl out for the night." The low baritone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

"Well, I'm glad I could help," she smiled.

Daryl bent as if he were going to say something else, but instead nuzzled her neck just beneath her ear, his goatee tickling her and making her giggle. She let out a loud gasp as she felt his mouth suck on her ear lobe, his teeth gently closing down on it. Beth heard his grin when he murmured, "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

Before she could respond...or retaliate...she heard her name come over the loud speaker. She shot Daryl a look that said _Oh, this SO isn't over_ and made her way to the stage area.

The opening bassline to Patty Loveless' _I Try to Think About Elvis _began and Beth began.

_I try to think about Elvis, Memphis, Oprah in the afternoon  
>I try to think about palm trees, Fig leaves, The creature from the black lagoon<br>I try to think about high heels, And good deals, Anything to get me through  
>I just can't concentrate, You're all I think about these days<em>

_I try to contemplate the cosmos, What goes Round and round the sky at night  
>I try to think about champagne, Freight trains Slowly rolling out of sight<br>I try to focus on the headlines, Street crimes, Everytime I think I might  
>I just can't concentrate, You're all I think about these days<em>

_My mind wanders where it will, When it settles right on you  
>I forget what I should say, I forget what I should do<em>

During the short interlude, Beth did her best impromptu dance, laughing at herself the whole time.__

_My mind wanders where it will, When it settles right on you  
>I forget what I should say, I forget what I should do<em>

The music cut out suddenly, and she whispered into the microphone, "Come on, Bethy, get it together..." and prepared for the key change.__

_I try to think about Shakespeare, Leap year, The Beatles or the Rolling Stones  
>I try to think about hair-do's, Tattoos, Sushi bars and saxophones<br>I try to think about the talk shows, New clothes, But I guess I should have known  
>I just can't concentrate, You're all I think about these days<br>You're all I think about these days_

The bar erupted in applause for Beth; she thanked them and replaced the mic on the stand and made her way through the crowd back to the table to see Daryl grinning at her. She was suddenly glad for the dim lighting in the bar so perhaps he wouldn't notice just how much she was blushing.

A few more singers came and went before Daryl's name was called. Before he got up, he pulled a long drink from his beer and shoved himself off the chair, forcing himself up to the stage. Beth's face split with a wide smile as she recognized the song by the quick piano introduction.

_Baby let me be your lovin' teddy bear  
>Put a chain around my neck And lead me anywhere<br>Oh, let me be (Oh, let him be)  
>Your teddy bear<em>

_I don't wanna be a tiger, 'Cause tigers play too rough  
>I don't wanna be a lion, 'Cause lions ain't the kind you love enough<em>

_Just wanna be, your teddy bear _

_put your chain around my neck, And lead me anywhere  
>Oh, let me be (Oh, let him be)<br>Your teddy bear_

_Baby let me be, around you every night  
>Run your fingers through my hair, And cuddle me real tight<br>Oh, let me be (Oh, let him be)  
>Your teddy bear<em>

_I don't wanna be a tiger, 'Cause tigers play too rough  
>I don't wanna be a lion, 'Cause lions ain't the kind you love enough<em>

_Just wanna be, your teddy bear  
>Put a chain around my neck, And lead me anywhere<br>Oh, let me be (Oh, let him be)  
>Your teddy bear<em>

_Oh, let me be (Oh, let him be)  
>Your teddy bear<br>I just wanna be your teddy bear_

His singing wasn't the best, in fact he was off-pitch through most of the song, but Beth applauded louder than anyone else in the building, almost in tears because of how happy he had just made her. He had done that just for her, and she absolutely loved him for it.

When he finally returned to the table, she wrapped his arms around him and planted a kiss against his lips. It took all her strength not to crawl into his lap right then and there and lose herself in his arms. Instead she left a trail of kisses over his cheek until her lips were right next to his ear.

"Let's go home, Daryl."

**I know. I'm just leaving cliffhangers everywhere these days...and I'm not sorry. This chapter would be positively beastly if I were to continue from here. The good news is I know exactly what's going to happen in the next chapter, so...that's something, right? Maybe it won't take so long to update? I'll do my best, that much I can promise you.**

**Give credit where credit is due, right? They karaoked to "I Try to Think About Elvis" by Patty Loveless, written by Gary Burr and "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear) by Elvis Presley, written by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe. (See what I did there? I'm such a clever dork...)**

**Thanks for all the support this story has been getting lately! I hope this chapter helped answer some of your questions. Thanks for the many, many reviews, and proceeding conversations I had with many of you. I try to respond to all of them, but sometimes it takes me a while to get around to it. Love you all dearly! **


	9. Worrying

**Lady in Red – Chapter 9**

Beth and Daryl practically ran, hand in hand, back to her car. It had started to drizzle, so they hurried into their seats, but before she could put on her seatbelt and start up the car, Daryl reached over the center console and pulled her to him, sealing his lips over hers. She moaned into his kiss, and kept leaning into him when he pulled away. He smiled and pressed another quick kiss to her lips and asked, "Just how fast can this thing go?"

Beth grinned and started the engine, fastened her seatbelt, and did her best to keep from peeling out of the parking lot. "Um…a little help?" she asked, not able to remember exactly how to get back to her apartment. Daryl laughed and guided her back to her neighborhood. Once they got close enough and Beth started recognizing the landmarks, she sped up a little, anxious to get home.

Rain had started to dot Beth's windshield as she drove through the streets. By the time she had pulled into her driveway, her wipers were going full speed. She put the car in park and shut off the engine. "Well," she said, turning to face Daryl, "we can run now or wait it out a while in here. Feel like getting wet?" The question tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop it and her face flushed brightly as she realized just what she'd said.

Daryl smirked at her, and Beth was grateful that her back was to the porch light, which was casting her face in shadow but exposing the deep blue depths of Daryl's eyes. He chuckled at her little slip up, which calmed her and made her more nervous at the same time. She could feel the tension mounting between the two of them in the tiny car. Beth leaned her head back against the headrest, letting more of the watery light fall on him, taking in just how handsome he was in his button down shirt, his hair falling into his eyes like some sexy oxymoron – a clean cut bad boy. Steeling her nerves, she leaned forward and kissed him, only meaning for there to be quick contact – just a kiss just because.

Her intentions were soon abandoned, however, as Daryl's hand came up to up the side of her face and hold her to him, prolonging the kiss. Daryl moved his lips against Beth's, teasing and tempting her. He gently ran his tongue along her bottom lip, silently seeking entrance, which she willingly gave. Their tongues met, tentatively at first, even though they had kissed so many times before. It was as if each kiss, each experience, was brand new for both of them, sending a thrill of excitement through each touch, each sensation. Beth fumbled for the buckle of her seatbelt, finally locating the button to release it, and broke the kiss to unstrap herself. Daryl took advantage the same time she did and untangled himself from his own seatbelt. They immediately came back to each other, Daryl grunting and Beth groaning together. Apparently they were a little too enthusiastic and they both ended up colliding with the center console.

"Maybe we head inside," Daryl suggested, his hand rubbing just below his ribcage.

Beth giggled, noticing that the windows had already begun to fog up a little. "Yeah. Ready?" she asked, her hand gripping the door handle.

"When you are," Daryl answered, following suit.

"One…two…three!" Beth shouted and darted out into the rain, squealing as the fat drops doused her immediately. They both dashed up the stairs; Beth had to stop half way up to take off her sandals because her feet kept sliding around in them. When they made it to her door, she realized she had put her keys back in her purse, and frantically searched for them. By the time she found them she was laughing so hard she could barely see, not to mention the streams of water running down her face. _So much for looking cute tonight,_ Beth thought as she finally got her door unlocked and opened. They tumbled into her living room, both dripping wet, and out of breath from running and laughing.

"Ugh…we make quite a pair, don't we?" she asked playfully as she dropped her shoes on the mat near the door and deposited her purse on the kitchen table. "I'm…um…I'm gonna go change. If you want, I could take your shirt and set it in front of the fan so it dries a little," she continued, swearing to herself that she was flushed from laughing so much.

"Uh…no, that's okay," Daryl mumbled.

Beth gave him a questioning look. "Daryl, you can't just sit in wet clothes. You'll catch cold."

"Inside?" he shot back, raising an incredulous eyebrow.

Beth narrowed her eyes. "Since when are you so bashful?"

"Since when are you so pushy?" he countered. Beth could see he was starting to get defensive again and decided to back off.

"Well, I'll be right back. Don't go running off on me," she teased, hoping he would take it the way she meant it. She hated that he got upset about things and wouldn't explain why. She supposed that was part of getting to know someone. Beth hurried to change into jeans and a t-shirt and wrung out her hair; she turned back into the hallway and saw Daryl in the living room, still sitting there on the arm of the couch in his sopping wet shirt, the residual rain in his hair dripping onto his shoulders and rolling down his face and neck. She went back in her room and grabbed her favorite sweatshirt, then stopped in the bathroom and took a towel from the closet and carried them into the living room.

"Here," she offered him both items. He only looked at them. "Can I help?" Beth asked, setting the sweatshirt on the couch beside him and unfolded the towel. "Let me...please?" she breathed as she raised the towel to hand between them. She took his silence as an answer and lifted it to drape over his head. Moving her hands slowly, she worked the terrycloth around his hair, sopping up what moisture she could. Once she was satisfied, she ran the towel along her own long, golden locks, trying to get what rain water she had missed earlier. She let the towel drop to the floor and took a step toward Daryl, testing the waters. "Will you please change shirts so I can try and dry this one before you have to go? I feel bad with you sitting here all soaking wet. Here," she reached around him and picked up the sweatshirt, "this should fit you. It's...well, it was Sean's...my brother's. It's huge on me, so it should fit you okay." She gave him a tiny grin, though there was a hint of sadness in her voice at the thought of her older brother.

Daryl finally nodded, but didn't make a move to take off his shirt. "Will you..." Beth started and hesitantly reached up for his top button. Daryl stiffened for a moment, and Beth froze; after a long moment, he nodded slightly, and Beth carefully began unbuttoning his dress shirt. She'd worked the top three buttons before he stopped her with his hands. His breath was becoming quicker, more strained, as if he were panicking. "Daryl? Are you okay? Would you rather change in the bathroom?" she offered.

Daryl sat quietly, his eyes scrunched tightly closed, his mouth drawn in a frown, his eyebrows knitted together. His breath gradually began to even out as he seemed to make his decision.

"I...I can't..." he sighed. Beth waited patiently for him to complete his thought. Daryl, still not able to bring his eyes up to look at her, began slowly. "I told ya I had a pretty shitty childhood. How me and Merle would just take off and go hunting to get out of the house?" Beth nodded, her eyes wide, searching for a clue as to where this was going. "How my dad was always pissed off?" Beth nodded again, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Daryl huffed out a breath; whatever he was about to say was obviously taking a lot of energy to get out, like a demon he'd been running from for so long and now was finally coming around to facing it.

"He would tell me all the time how worthless I was, how I just sucked the life right out of him and my mom. That I was a mistake he never should have made. 'If I had the money for a lawyer, I'd sue the condom company.'" Daryl's shoulders bunched and he slowly shook his head at the memory. "The older I got, the more I needed new clothes and food and stuff for school, the more pissed he'd get. He started smacking me around, more and more. He had money for booze and drugs, but not enough to clothe his own damned kids. Some nosy lady from school came to the house with a bunch of old hand me down clothes for me. He bitched her out, slammed the door in her face, then took it out on me."

Beth wanted to stop him, wanted to cry, wanted to wrap her arms around him and take away all these painful memories, but she knew he needed to get this out. The knot in her stomach tightened as she started to put the pieces together as to where this was going and why he was so reluctant to shed his clothes.

"Sometimes I was lucky and he'd just use his hands, his fists. Can't tell ya how many times I went to school with a shiner and had to explain that I missed the ball playing catch or that I fell off my bike and hit something." Daryl gave a humorless laugh, "Thing is, everyone knew I didn't have no one to play catch with, didn't have a bike." He sighed again, gathering strength to finish his story. "The bigger I got...guess he figured he needed more than just his hands. That's when he'd whip off his belt. Most times he'd get me with the leather, but then he'd really get into it and use the buckle end. He'd use anything he could get his hands on...wooden spoon from the kitchen, wire hangers. Hell, one time he kicked me so hard his boot come flyin' off and he started beatin' me with that."

"Daryl..." Beth started, but couldn't finish. She didn't know what to say. All she could do was stand in front of him, feeling stupid holding out her brother's sweatshirt for him. She brought the shirt close to her chest and started to back away, giving him the space she thought he wanted.

Daryl shook his head forcefully and reached for her wrist, stopping her from moving. "No. I ain't told many people...never trusted anyone like you...like I trust you." He brought his hands up to the buttons on his shirt and worked his way down, unfastening them slowly. He let the fabric hang from his broad shoulders.

Beth couldn't tear her eyes away. She took in the sight of him, still cowering in on himself, his head hung low, chin resting heavily on his chest. His chest was lightly covered with dark, curling hair; his abdomen was formed into well-defined muscles. Feeling brave, she set the sweatshirt down and stepped closer to him. She wanted to finish taking his shirt off, but knew somehow he still wasn't ready to be exposed like that. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body into his. His skin was cool to the touch, due to his keeping the wet clothes on him all this while. She felt her nipples pebble under her shirt at the temperature difference, but made no move to back away from him.

Their heights were opposite what they usually were with Daryl still sitting, slouched on the arm of the sofa; when Beth leaned into him, his head fit perfectly into the crook of her neck without him having to stoop like he usually did. She ran her fingers through his still-damp hair, trying to soothe him, to bring back the man she had seen at dinner and at the bar. Beth whispered softly, "It's okay, Daryl. I've got you. It's okay. You're safe here." Her fingers trailed over his back, feeling the water being displaced from his shirt as her hands moved. She kissed him on the cheek, then pressed her temple to his. "Thank you for telling me, baby. I know that couldn't have been easy." She felt his arms come around her, his hands resting on the small of her back, his head buried in the crook of her neck. The dampness of his sleeves was soaking into her t-shirt, but she didn't care. She kissed along his cheekbone and finally came face to face with him again. She cupped the sides of his face with her hands, keeping her touch light and soft, and waited for his gaze to meet hers.

Daryl brought his hands to hold Beth's wrists, keeping her hands securely on his skin; he finally brought his deep blue eyes to meet hers. "I wanted to tell ya...to explain...why I..." he trailed off. He released her wrists and started to shrug out of his shirt, fighting the wet fabric for movement. Beth watched as the shirt hit the floor by her feet with a splat; her eyes trailed up his legs, his torso, and finally saw what he'd been so reluctant for her to see.

Coming across his shoulder was a thin purple scar that clearly continued over the expanse of his back. Beth reached out and gingerly touched it. The scar looked ages old, and visions of a small, scrawny boy taking the wrath of his drunken father filled her mind. She was torn as to what to do; part of her knew he didn't want her gawking at him, on the bruised and battered history left behind on his back, but the other part argued that he wouldn't have told her his story and then removed the physical barrier between his childhood and her kind, seeking eyes if he didn't want her to look. She took a tentative step to walk around him; when he didn't stop her, Beth continued until she was behind him. She knelt on the couch and held her breath so as not to make a sound.

His back was covered with several angry looking scars crisscrossed against his skin, creating horrendous patterns. Some were grouped close together, some stood out alone. Quite a few of them looked like they should have been treated with stitches, but Daryl had obviously been left to bleed and heal on his own. "Oh, Daryl..." she breathed, her voice heavy with sadness; she immediately noticed his shoulders bunch up again, as if he was waiting for the blows to start again. She knew better than to show any kind of pity toward him, that he would only get defensive over a reaction like that. She had to choose her next move very carefully. She wanted nothing more than to take care of him, to let him know his past didn't change anything between them. As much as she wanted to kiss them all, in her mind kiss them all away, to hopefully bring him some comfort, she thought better of it, hoping to get a chance another day. For now, she traced over the shiny, raised, discolored flesh with the pads of her fingertips. She hoped she wasn't pushing him too far by touching him like this. His shoulders stayed bunched up, but he never pulled away, never said anything to stop her. Once she had finished her examination, she kept her hand on his shoulder, letting her fingers drift across his skin as she circled around him again to look at him face to face again.

What she saw when she reached his front broke her heart as much as seeing his back had; Daryl was sitting, cowering in on himself, as if he were waiting for something horrible to happen. His face was lined with worry and fear, as if he were bracing himself for the worst. Beth smiled to herself, dropped her hand to her side, and bent at the waist to kiss him, so her lips were the only thing touching him.

Daryl jumped back suddenly, his eyes wide open in surprise. Beth took a step closer and resumed her stance, holding his face between her hands. "It's okay, Daryl. It...they don't change anything. I'm not going anywhere." He relaxed somewhat at her words, so she leaned in for another kiss, and he sat up to meet her. Before they got too carried away, Beth pulled back to look him straight in the eyes, wanting to make sure this next message was undoubtedly received.

"Daryl, you are a wonderful man. All that...crap...that your dad said about you...not one word of it is true. You are _not_ worthless. In fact you are far from being worthless. And these scars...they might be a part of you, but they aren't the only part of you." He looked at her, his eyes lined with doubt, so she started to prove how right she was. "You have these strong hands, because you're such a hard worker." She pulled his hands up to her mouth and kissed his palms. "These strong arms that make me feel so safe when they're wrapped around me." Her fingers trailed along his forearms, dancing across his biceps, before landing on his shoulders. "You have a wonderful mind that comes up with the most romantic things to say and do." She kissed his forehead, letting her lips linger a second or two before coming back to look him in the eye again. She could see some of the apprehension disappear from his countenance. "You've got such a beautiful heart, that always has you putting others before yourself, over and over again, whether it's staying late at the shop to help out, or going with Merle to his meetings, or...just being with me." Her right hand trailed from his shoulder to his chest, resting over his heart. For a moment, Beth was tempted to plant a kiss right over his heart, but wanted to continue with her litany of praises, wanting to make him feel as good as he always made her feel. "And your mouth..." she smiled softly at him, "it's charming smile, the words you say to make my heart melt time and again, and your amazing kisses..."

With that, she leaned into him again, draping her arms over his shoulders, leaving her fingers to play with the hair at the nape of his neck; her lips sought his, ever so lightly, moving gently against him. She readjusted herself, balancing her weight on the balls of her feet, one on each side of Daryl's long, lean, outstretched legs. He finally started moving his lips against hers, and she pressed more firmly to deepen the kiss. Their mouths opened simultaneously, their tongues meeting in the middle. All the urgency their kisses held throughout the night was gone; the nervousness Beth had the last time they were alone in her apartment had vanished. This was just Beth trying to console and comfort this man she still secretly loved, and Daryl, who was slowly beginning to accept all this affection directed at him.

Beth moaned into Daryl's mouth as his hands came up to rest on her hips; with the slightest pressure from his fingertips, he drew her closer to him. She took a step forward and let out a yelp. Daryl jumped, almost falling backwards onto the couch behind him.

"I'm so sorry, Daryl," Beth apologized while stooping down at his feet. When she stood back up, she was holding his wet dress shirt. "It was cold and wet and it startled me. I didn't mean to make you go deaf."

Daryl smirked and breathed out a short laugh. "It's okay."

Beth flushed and looked down at her fingers worrying the damp fabric. "I'll just...set this up by the fan. It's...um...it's back in my bedroom." She grabbed the sweatshirt and handed it to him. "Here's this if...if you want it," she mumbled before scurrying back to her room.

When she returned, she found Daryl seated on the center cushion of the couch. What surprised her was that he was still shirtless; his hands were busy fiddling with the stitching on the sweatshirt. Even though she'd just examined his body with her hands and eyes, that was more about learning his past, about what's going on in his mind. Now, from across the room, she found herself admiring the muscles she'd only felt before but could now see as clear as day. His arms, his torso, all lean and toned, were a magnificent sight to see. Add in the masculine hair covering his chest and the dark arrow disappearing beneath his belt, and Beth was left dumbstruck. He was absolutely beautiful, inside and out. She had a momentary lapse where she imagined him on top of her, his skin pressed against hers, but she shook it away and started to walk into the living room.

As confident as Beth had been a moment ago, she was beyond nervous now. She swallowed the sudden dryness out of her mouth. "Hopefully your shirt will be dry pretty soon," she said as she reentered the room. Daryl nodded absently. "Do you have to work tomorrow?" she asked, not knowing what else to say.

Daryl nodded again. "Yeah. Got scheduled for the early shift. What about you? They still giving you hours at the ice cream shop?"

It was Beth's turn to nod now as she crossed the living room to sit beside him. "Yeah. Saturday I work a double and Sunday I open...at least I get a little time to spend with my family. I've been so busy with school and getting set up here, I haven't had a ton of time to talk to them." She saw Daryl cast her a look and wondered just what he was thinking. After a silent, slightly awkward moment, Beth suggested, "Do you want to put in a movie or something while your shirt dries?"

Daryl shrugged noncommittally.

Beth pressed on, her nerves taking control, and she started to ramble, unable to stop. "I admit, I don't have a ton of movies to pick from, and the ones I do have are mostly chick flicks, and you probably don't want to see those, but some of them have some funny parts, or I have just some straight up comedies if you're in the mood to..."

Beth's wandering monologue was cut short by Daryl trapping her lips against his, his hand in her damp hair. She tensed up at first, though she wasn't sure why she was so nervous. They'd just been kissing like this not ten minutes ago, with and without his shirt on. There was something different about his kiss this time, though, almost a feeling of intent, of some hidden purpose. He wasn't just kissing her just to kiss her; there was an electric insistence coursing between them, and Beth was powerless to resist it.

Their tongues twirled around, dancing to the sweet melody and harmony created by their sighs and moans. Daryl's mouth left hers, only to leave a tantalizing trail of kisses along her jaw line; he teased her earlobe with his tongue and teeth. Beth gasped against his ear, her fingers combing through his shaggy hair. Her breath had started to become ragged, and she held onto him for dear life as his mouth moved down her neck, licking, kissing, and nibbling his way lower.

Beth let her head drop back, giving him access to the ivory column of her throat. She moaned softly and breathed his name into the near silence around them, the only accompaniment the staccato rhythm of the rain hitting the windows and the roof above them. Not able to wait any longer, Beth pulled his head up to kiss his delicious mouth again. His low groan as her tongue found his again caused goose bumps to explode over her flesh, despite the warm sensations flooding through her system. Her heart was pounding, her pulse seemed to be racing and dragging at the same time, her blood boiling within her veins. Beth let her hands fall from his hair onto his bare shoulders. The feeling of his skin beneath her hands was incredible. She moved slowly along his upper arms and shoulders, never venturing lower than his shoulder blades, tracing and memorizing the lines of muscles usually hidden by his shirt.

Feeling bold and scared all at once, she brought her fingertips to trail over the top of his shoulders and beyond, skimming over his chest into the crisp curls of hair covering his warm skin. She felt so sexy, womanly, wanton, exploring his upper body with her hands. For a moment, a fleeting thought consumed her mind to kiss him as he had kissed her, tasting his skin. She decided to try and duplicate what he had done to her, and moved to kiss his strong jaw line. His stubble was abrasive against her swollen and slightly bruised lips, but she didn't care in the least. Her lips trailed beneath his jaw and onto his neck, and the groan that sounded from his throat sent a shock of electricity through her. As she moved, she became more and more confident, venturing further south, teasing her tongue along his collarbone. She had just barely begun to drop a kiss lower still, just over his heart, when he stopped her, pulling her flush against him for a feverish kiss.

Beth sensed the atmosphere change around them, as if Daryl was holding back momentarily before deciding which course of action to take. She felt him pushing into her, and she let him, lowering herself onto the cushions of the couch, pulling him on top of her. They ended up with their legs haphazardly tangled together, and Beth had to wriggle around so her neck wasn't bent at an odd angle against the arm of the couch. Daryl let some of his weight rest on her, but kept himself supported on his knees and elbows. Her hands found their way to his hair again, anchoring him to her, and to his shoulder, her arm curling under his, holding him close. In the back of her mind, she knew he wasn't ready for her to touch his back, and she wouldn't push him like that.

Daryl pulled back and sought her eyes, searching for an answer to a question yet unspoken. Beth had that feeling again that he was getting ready to say something, but he held his tongue. She gently smiled and reached up, cupping her hand behind his neck, and gave her answer by kissing him, slow and deep, thrilling and soothing all at once. He met her, matched her, step for step. When he finally lifted his lips from hers, they were both fighting to catch their breath. "Beth," he whispered, but didn't continue right away. His eyes swept over her features, and he swallowed hard before finishing with, "You are so beautiful," and bent to kiss her again, long and searching, like he was trying to pour everything he had to offer into her.

His hand, which had been resting near her head, playing absently with her long golden hair, moved slowly across her shoulder and down her torso. His thumb lightly brushed the side of her breast, and she arched her back instinctually, seeking to prolong the contact. He caressed her side, her hip, down to the top of her thigh, before bringing his hand back to her waist and tunneling under her shirt, which had started to ride up on her stomach with their joined movements. He burrowed his hand between her back and the couch cushion, and his other hand slid behind her neck, pulling her intimately close to him. He dragged his lips back to her neck, leaving little love bites in his wake.

Beth was gasping and moaning at all the touches he was giving her, whispering his name as a plea. She wanted more, but wasn't sure if they were ready for it just yet. Physically, yes, she was more than ready, but they had agreed to take things very slowly. She knew that was probably best, but with the amazing way she felt now, she couldn't wait to race ahead. "Daryl...please..." she begged again.

"Beth," he murmured against the sensitive flesh of her neck, his low baritone voice rumbling in her ear. He pulled his hand from behind her back and reached around until he found her hand. Grasping tightly, he brought their joined hands, fingers interlaced, to above her head. He kissed her mouth again, his tongue sweeping sweetly against hers; his fingertips trailed slowly down her arm, tickling her a little as he reached her arm pit. She giggled underneath him, but gasped in surprise and desire, and let out a tiny moan as his palm found her breast. "Is this okay?" he asked, pulling back from the kiss to look into her eyes. She nodded, words failing her, and he gently moved his hand against her. Even through the fabric of her shirt and bra between them, she could feel the heat of his hand scorching her.

Their lips found each other as his hand gently kneaded her breast. "Oh my god...Daryl..." she whispered against him. She had to literally bite her lips shut so she wouldn't cry out at the whirlwind of sensations surrounding her.

"Oh, Beth...god, I want you," he murmured. She felt his hips push against hers, felt his hardness pressing against her thigh.

Her eyes snapped open as another swirl of electricity shot through her, causing her nipple to pebble against his palm, her head to fall back further on the couch cushion, her back to arch against him. Her body's immediate reaction to him frightened her. She could easily let him take her to whatever the next step was, but was she really ready to give herself to him? She loved him, she knew it without question, but offering herself to him like that was an awfully big step to make.

She gently pushed on his shoulder. "Daryl...Daryl, wait."

His head came up quickly, his eyes full of worry and fear. He pushed himself off her, kneeling back and sitting on his heels. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Beth."

She awkwardly sat up and reached for his hand. "Daryl, there's nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise. I'm just...I'm just not ready. I want to...I do. Just...not yet. I'm sorry."

Daryl framed her face with his hands and kissed her gently, a far cry from the intensity he'd just shown her moments ago. "Don't apologize. I shouldn't have let it go that far, anyway. If you aren't ready, you aren't ready. We'll cool it for tonight, okay?" His eyes were full of sincerity, his face lined with concern. Beth grinned shyly up at him, feeling stupid, like a scared little girl who realized she was afraid of her own shadow. Daryl would never push her farther than she was comfortable with, and she felt embarrassed at stopping him.

He must have picked up on her discomfort; he got up off the couch and sat back down next to her, pulling her to his side, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Hey...I mean it. It's okay. I'm not expecting anything from ya...we'll go as slow as you need to...as slow as we both need to."

Beth looked up at his face, his expression at once assuring her that he was speaking nothing but the truth. Her heart was fit to burst with love for him, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words out loud. If she loved him, why couldn't she let herself go further with him? In some recess of her mind, she'd already started to realize that he was the only man she wanted to give herself to. Whatever it was that was holding her back, she couldn't identify.

Daryl pulled her into him even closer and kissed the top of her head; she curled into him, resting her cheek on his bare chest. Each passing moment felt like it was the perfect opportunity to tell him just how she felt, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Beth was getting incredibly frustrated with herself for not being able to either take the plunge or be able to figure out what was keeping her from admitting how she felt.

Daryl rescued her from her thoughts. "It sounds like the rain is letting up. I should probably start getting ready to go. Damn early shift tomorrow."

Beth looked up at him hopefully. "Do you want to just...stay the night and leave in the morning? I have to head out kind of early, too."

"I would love to, but..." Daryl answered; Beth's face fell with disappointment before he could finish his reply. "Hey," he said, lifting her chin between his fingers and thumb. "I mean that. I want nothing more than to fall asleep with you and wake up next to you, but...just not tonight." He kissed her softly. "Besides, if I were to stay, I may never want to leave."

Beth blushed a little at the thought, and nodded, trying to keep her chin from quivering and control the tears threatening to fall. "It's...it's not because I asked you to stop?"

"No, sweetheart," he smiled and shook his head. "I like to think I ain't that much of a dick. I swear...I want to stay here with ya, I just...can't tonight." He kissed her again. "Maybe another time, okay?"

"Okay," Beth whispered. She breathed out a heavy sigh, "I guess I oughta go see how your shirt's doing." She forced herself off the couch and retrieved his shirt. "It's still a little damp, but it's a lot better than it was." She handed it to him.

"Ya kicking me out?" he looked up at her innocently as he reached for his shirt until a grin spread across his face.

"I...I thought...you said you had to go."

"Well, yeah, but not right away." He shrugged into his shirt and started buttoning it. "Roads are probably still wet, and if that storm was heading south, I'd be riding right into it. Naw, I can stay for a little bit...if that's alright with you."

Beth smiled widely, "Of course it's alright." She let out a breathy laugh, "Really wish I'd gotten my cable hooked up. Add that to my list of things to do this week."

"It's okay. We can just talk. Don't have to be nothin' special." He focused his gaze on her. "I like just being with you, Beth. Just...being."

Beth hummed, "Mmm...me too."

She relaxed on the couch next to him, and they fell into easy conversation, peppered with random kisses. She described all her classes to him, her hopes for the rest of the quarter at school; he didn't add much to the conversation, saying he didn't want to just complain about the bad day he'd had, and most of his work days were a lot of the same old same old. He told her how he admired her for being a teacher, that he'd never have the patience to deal with all those "rugrats." She teased him and said how glad she was that her boyfriend was a mechanic, because you never know when that might come in handy.

Time had completely slipped away from them; the next thing they knew it was nearing eleven o'clock. "I hate to leave, but I gotta go. I'll catch you tomorrow, okay?"

Beth nodded, trying not to look too sad at his leaving. "Yeah. Sounds good," she said as she walked him to the door. "You'll be really careful on the roads, won't you? And call me the second you get home?" She looked up at him worriedly.

"I will, buttercup. I promise." He cupped his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a soft, sweet kiss. "G'night, Beth," he said softly and opened the door to head outside.

"Good night," she said and watching him walk down the steps and toward his bike. She stayed on the landing of her stairs and watched as he shook off the cover and stowed it in the side compartment. He looked up at her and waved, then straddled his motorcycle, started the engine and took off.

"I love you," she whispered after him.


	10. Surprising

**Lady in Red – Chapter 10 – Surprising**

Beth must have fallen asleep waiting for Daryl to let her know he'd made it home alright. She woke up, finding herself still fully dressed and lying on top of her bed covers, her phone sitting in the palm of her hand. She hadn't even charged it last night, having fallen asleep before she had a chance to do so. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and forced them to focus on her too-bright cell phone screen.

There were two notifications waiting for her attention. At the top of the screen was a text from Maggie asking what her work schedule was like this weekend. Beth typed out the details quickly, figuring Maggie wanted to be sure to get some definite "sister time" in this weekend.

The second, older notification was from Daryl. Judging by the time stamp, he had taken her advice and driven especially carefully on the wet roads last night.

**_Made it home okay. Hope I get to see you _**

**_sometime this weekend while you're home._**

Beth typed out her reply:

**_Glad you made it home safe._**

**_Sorry, must have fallen asleep before you texted me._**

**_Hope I get to see you, too, but I work both days_**

******_and have laundry to do. Plus, you know, family._**

She glanced at her alarm clock and saw that she had slept later than she'd planned. Her phone chirped, alerting her to a new message. She wasn't expecting a return message so quickly. Beth looked at her phone, and was only a little disappointed that it wasn't Daryl, but Maggie writing back and confirming her suspicions about "sister time." Beth grinned and crawled out of bed, plugging her phone into her charger, and setting to completing a few quick chores before leaving for the weekend.

Beth hated the thought of coming home to chores after working all weekend, so she made a quick sweep of her apartment, taking out all the trash, putting all her dishes away, even sweeping up in her kitchen. Next she grabbed a granola bar, loaded her laundry basket in the back of her car, and began the drive home.

It felt wonderful to be back home again, even if it had only been a week since she'd moved out. There was nothing like walking in to a kitchen and drowning in the aroma of her mother's homemade peach cobbler. She let herself get wrapped up in tight hugs from both her parents, feeling that indescribable sense of security, of love, of home. She felt a tiny pang of guilt that she hadn't kept in better touch this past week. It was easy to explain it away – she had been busy with school and getting set up in her new apartment – but it bothered her nonetheless. How hard was it to pick up her phone and make a quick call to check in with them? The guilt worsened when she thought about how often she had talked to Daryl all week.

Beth didn't have much time to catch up with her family just yet, as she was scheduled to open the shop in less than an hour. She rushed upstairs to her room, feeling silly at being surprised when she saw how sparse it was without all her stuff in it. Really the only things left were her bed and a few odds and ends that hadn't made it up to her apartment in the big move, but she didn't really need them yet anyway. She made a note to bring it all with her when she returned to her apartment. She quickly changed into her work uniform and grabbed a peach as she dashed through the kitchen and out the front door to her car.

The day went quickly enough, even though nothing too terribly exciting happened at the shop. Before she knew it, Beth was already heading home, just in time for dinner. Her father had grilled up burgers and brats, while her mother made her nearly-famous potato salad and southern baked beans. Beth bolted upstairs to change into real clothes again, glad to get the sickeningly sweet ice cream smell off her. She hadn't realized just how desensitized she had become to the smell by working so many hours over the summer until it hit her full force and stayed with her all day today. She hoped that tomorrow it wouldn't bother her as much. She changed into shorts and a sleeveless button down top then brought her laundry downstairs to start a load while everyone ate dinner.

Maggie and Glenn had come over for the small family barbecue. Beth enjoyed being surrounded by these people she loved so much. A tiny part of her wished Daryl could be here with her, too, but knew he'd been scheduled to work. She briefly wondered just how long he was scheduled to be there at the garage. Her fingers itched to send him a text, but knew both her father and mother would think it was rude to pull her phone out while at the dinner table. She promised herself that after she'd helped clear the table and take care of dishes she would call him and see if they could meet up later tonight.

Once the kitchen table had been cleared off, Maggie suggested they all play a game. "Like we did when we were kids. It'll be fun," she insisted as she dragged Glenn to the den to pull out a few to choose from. Beth took the opportunity to call Daryl and invite him. _It's worth a shot, right?_ she thought to herself.

He surprised her by answering on the second ring, "Hey, buttercup," he said in his slow, sexy drawl.

She all but melted at the sound of his voice. She giggled, a little too loudly, and caught a suspicious eye from her mother. "Hey. Whatcha doin' tonight?"

"Not a thing. You?"

"Well, Maggie and Glenn are over here. We were all gonna stay in at mom and dad's and play a couple games. Wanna come over?" She suddenly felt incredibly immature, asking a grown man to come over and play board games with her family. She could feel her cheeks and the tips of her ears getting hot.

"Sure. Why not?"

Beth almost fell over. "Really?! You're coming?" she all but shrieked into her phone, unable to control her surprise or excitement.

"Who's coming?" Maggie asked as she reentered the room, followed by Glenn, his arms full of game boxes.

"Daryl," Beth told her, all smiles.

"Sweet," Glenn replied. "Tell him to bring over some…beverages."

Beth laughed into the phone, "Glenn said to…"

"I heard him. I oughta make him go get his own damn booze. Alright, buttercup, I'll be over in a while," he said.

"Okay. See you soon," Beth hung up and fought the growing urge to squeal in delight. She turned around to face the rest of her family, and couldn't stop the grin, or the blush, from crossing her face. She saw her mother give her a knowing smirk in return, and Glenn and Maggie were all smiles anyway. Her father, on the other hand, looked neither happy nor upset at the news. She excused herself to use the bathroom, texting Daryl on the way to pick up some of Hershel's favorite kind of soda to keep him happy, realizing that Daryl may not know that Hershel hadn't had a drop of alcohol since the time she was born.

There was quite the discussion, to put it mildly, as they decided which game to play first. They finally agreed on something and had just finished getting everything set up when there was a knock on the door. "Got it!" Beth shouted as she jumped up to answer it, almost knocking her chair over in the process, and ran to the foyer to let Daryl in. He stood there, looking like a mix of heaven and hell in his black t-shirt, jeans and biker boots. He had left his trademark vest at home, much to her disappointment, but realized he'd probably done it knowing he'd be sitting with her father this evening and wanted to keep the good impression he had made. Beth's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him, then she mentally shook herself and held the screen door open for him, his arms full of grocery bags. As he came inside, she took one of the bags from him, then stood up on her tip toes to press a quick kiss to his lips. "Hi," she breathed.

"Hi," he smiled back, his eyes not leaving hers for a moment.

"I'm really glad you came," she said, walking with him back into the kitchen.

He grinned down at her, "You act like you're surprised. Like I've never been able to come over before."

She narrowed her eyes at his sarcasm. "Very funny," she murmured, then smiled widely as the joined the rest of her family at the table. Glenn whooped at the sight of the 12-pack of beer Daryl had brought, and Hershel nodded appreciatively as Beth pulled out a bottle of Mug Root Beer just for him. Beth swore she saw the beginnings of a smile curl the corner of his lips, but didn't want to make a big deal about it. Daryl had also brought some chips and dip for everyone to snack on; Beth grabbed bowls and paper plates and brought them back to the table.

The six of them had lots of fun, lots of laughs, as they played one game after another. Hershel announced that he was going to bed after thoroughly trouncing everyone in a game of Aggravation, and Annette stood up to join him. Beth hugged her parents both good night. "Will we see you tomorrow?" Hershel asked.

"I don't know. I'm scheduled to work a double, then I need to get home. Got school on Monday, you know."

Hershel nodded, "And church in the morning, I assume?"

"Yes, daddy," Beth smiled. "I just have to get to work right after."

"Well, alright. It was good to have you home, Bethy. I love you," he said as he hugged her again and kissed her cheek.

"Love you too, daddy," she kissed his bearded cheek. "G'night, mom. Love you."

"G'night, sweet pea. Take some leftovers home with you," Annette insisted. "Daryl, good to see you again," she nodded at him.

Daryl seemed a little taken aback that she had spoken to him. He stood up in a rush and nodded to her, "Ma'am." Beth looked at him and back to her parents and grinned at the look of approval on their faces.

"Good night, you two," Annette said to Maggie and Glenn. "Love you both."

"Night, mom," Maggie said, giggling at Glenn, who's mouth was too full of potato chips at the moment to respond and so only managed to grin widely with his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's.

Hershel and Annette both headed back to their room; the four remaining decided to move out to the porch so they wouldn't have to worry about keeping their voices down. They all caught up on everything, Maggie gushing about married life, Glenn jokingly complaining about it. Beth was sitting next to Daryl on the porch swing and could feel him get a little tense, despite the couple beers he had in him.

At least another hour had gone by when Glenn looked at the pocket watch Hershel had given him as a wedding present. Beth bit back a giggle when she noticed he still wore his wristwatch, meaning that his pulling out the pocket watch was just for show. Glenn clicked the watch closed and told Maggie it was probably time for them to start heading home. They all hugged each other good bye, and Beth found herself alone with Daryl once again.

As soon as Glenn started the car and headed down the driveway, Daryl shocked Beth by pulling her close and sealing his lips over hers. She squealed in surprise before melting into his embrace, her lips matching his, moving against each other. They opened their mouths simultaneously, each seeking more from the kiss, taking it to a deeper level. Beth loosely wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck, but at the same time he was her life line, anchoring her to the moment. Daryl ran his hands up and down her back, all the time pulling her closer to him. He moved one hand to cup her jaw and rubbed the pad of his thumb against her warm cheek. Their tongues twirled around each other, a slow, languid, passionate dance that neither seemed to want to end. They eventually broke apart, only to catch their breath. Daryl rested his forehead against Beth's and murmured, "I've been waiting to do that all night."

"Oh, really?" she asked softly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Mm-hmm," he hummed, his low baritone rumbling through his chest and into hers. He ducked his head and started to leave a trail of soft kisses up and down the column of her throat. "Actually, I been thinking 'bout doin' that since I left last night," he breathed in her ear before nibbling on her ear lobe.

Even though they were still outside and her parents were back in their room on the opposite side of the house, Beth tried to stay as quiet as she could; she only let out a sharp gasp as his teeth raked across the shell of her ear, then his tongue skirted along the edge, sending delicious chills and thrills up and down her spine. She shivered against him, knowing it had nothing to do with the temperature of the air around them. Her voice came out in little more than a whisper, "Daryl," as she let her head drop back loving the sensations he was causing to swirl through her with his lips, teeth and tongue.

"What, baby doll?" he mumbled against her skin as he inched his way further down, letting his lips trail lower and lower until they were pressing along her collarbone. His tongue teased her pulse point at the base of her neck. She gasped loudly as he dropped his hands to her hips and lifted her with ease to seat her on his lap and brought his mouth right back to hers. She always marveled at his strength; her hands drifted down to feel his upper arms as his hands continued to move against her back. They rocked together on the swing, only adding to the weightless feeling Beth got when he kissed her deeply like this.

"I…I…" she breathed against him. She wanted to say it; the words were right there on the tip of her tongue, but some unknown force was stopping her. She'd never been in love before, and she supposed there was a tiny part of her that just wasn't sure she wanted to admit to the very obvious fact that she loved Daryl, especially so early in their relationship. She thought she'd come close with Jimmy, her old high school boyfriend, and maybe even with Zach, a guy she'd dated in college for the better part of her sophomore year. Neither of those relationships were anything like this, where they both gave so much and expected nothing in return. When she had been with the other two – or rather, away from the other two – her mind was not consumed with thoughts of them. However, anytime she spent away from Daryl, he was most often at the forefront of her mind. What she and Daryl had together was special, she could feel it, so why couldn't she tell him?

All power of speech was taken from her as his tongue darted into her mouth again and his left hand found its way under her shirt, allowing his fingertips to trail against the skin at the small of her back. Beth fought to keep from crying out at the sudden contact, letting Daryl swallow her moans of surprise, which developed into moans of pleasure. Without breaking the kiss, his right hand came up between them and unbuttoned the top button of her shirt…then the second. He left a trail of hot, wet kisses down her throat until he found the creamy skin at the tops of her breasts; his hand drifted down her side to rest on her hip.

Beth's fingers curled tightly, one in his hair, the other into the fabric covering his shoulder; it was all she could to do hold on, to keep from falling over, to keep some semblance of control over her body. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to stay quiet, but she let him explore her heated flesh, completely lost in herself and him and the warm night air and the heady sensations filling her. When she felt his tongue lap at her cleavage, his whiskered chin rubbing against her sensitive skin, she gently pulled his head up. "Daryl…I'm…I can't…" She didn't want him to stop, not really, but knew she needed to before things went much further. "I'm sorry. I just can't…not here. Not yet." She hung her head in embarrassment and dropped her hands to her lap. "I'm so sorry. I feel like I'm leading you on, and I want to keep going, I do, and it feels so good, but I just can't, and I'm sorry…"

"Stop apologizing," he said, putting two fingers under her chin and raising her face so she was looking right at him, his face and voice matching in sincerity. "Trust me, I'm perfectly okay with going slow."

Beth raised her eyebrows, her expression hopeful, "Really?"

"Ain't lyin'. I ain't goin nowhere. Promise." His eyes flicked back and forth between her own and he grinned sheepishly. "I probably shouldn't have gone this far tonight anyway. If your dad woulda walked out here…it probably wouldn' ta been pretty."

_Tell him,_ she thought to herself. _He's being more than patient with you. Just tell him already. _Beth opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead all she could do was hold him tightly and press her lips to his, hoping he could understand the words she couldn't seem to say.

They held each other, kissing and whispering well into the night. Time completely escaped them until they heard the grandfather clock chiming in the hall. "Well, Cinderella, that's midnight, and you've got an early morning." He kissed her once more, sweetly, making her toes curl in her Converse sneakers. With both hands on her waist, he lifted her and gently set her on the floor of the porch before standing up himself. They walked to the porch steps together; he stood one step below her, so they were standing face to face. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

Beth nodded, not trusting her voice. She hated when he left. Even though she knew he couldn't stay, for more than one reason, she didn't want to see him go. She swallowed hard and whispered, "G'night, Daryl. Drive safe, okay?"

Daryl grinned at her, "You know me." He leaned in and kissed her one last time, a lingering kiss that neither of them seemed to want to break. "Bye, sweetheart."

Beth leaned on one of the posts of the porch and watched as Daryl climbed onto his motorcycle and put on his helmet. He waved to her once more before starting the engine and heading off down the driveway and out of sight.

_Beth, what the hell is wrong with you? Why can't you just tell him you love him? And with you stopping him anytime things start to get heated…he's gonna leave you._

It was then and there that Beth swore that the next time she saw him, she would tell Daryl just how much she loves him.

The ice cream parlor was slammed busy for most of the day. The only break Beth really had was the five minutes after they opened before their first customer came in. After that, there was a steady stream of people coming up to her counter to place orders. Apparently a lot of families were out enjoying the break from the usual Georgia heat. Beth cringed at the thought of how busy they would be next weekend – Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. It seemed like everyone and their mother would always come out for ice cream on Labor Day.

Just after three o'clock, Beth finally got to take her long awaited lunch break. She rushed over to the diner down the block and sat on a stool at the counter. She placed her order with the waitress, just a quick sandwich and a soda. Because she was working a double, she got a whole half an hour to herself, but because the shop had been so busy, she wasn't planning on taking the whole break. It was always in Beth's nature to want to help others. Her mother had always said she'd grow up to be either a nurse or a teacher – apparently she was right.

As Beth ate, she let her mind wander, thinking about plans for the week ahead. She was excited to start actually teaching this week, thinking about all those cute little kindergarteners that she'd be working with. She made a mental list of the different warm-up songs she'd like to use, remembering a song she had learned when she was little about a teddy bear picnic. Her thoughts drifted to Daryl at that, and felt her face flush with the memory of last night, his mouth on her neck, her lips, her chest. She wasn't sure which kisses of his she preferred. Her thoughts strayed further, and a growing heat mixed with giddiness grew in her heart…and lower.

She shook herself, checking her watch and realizing she'd already been sitting and daydreaming for fifteen minutes. She finished her sandwich, slurped the rest of her soda, and left enough money to cover the check and leave a decent tip. Her boss seemed pleased to see her back early, even if it was only by ten minutes. Beth took up her spot behind the counter again and greeted the next customer in line.

The clock on the wall opposite the counter showed that it was getting close to 6:30, and Beth was starting to get a little hungry. She was about to ask her boss if she could take a dinner break soon when the door chimed, signaling yet another customer. She turned to greet them, and a genuine smile stretched across her face.

"Hey, li'l bit!" his raspy voice cut through the din of the other customers' conversations.

"Hi, Merle. Good to see you. Who all do we have here?"

Merle had walked into the shop with a woman who looked to be about the same age as he was, her gray hair cut short but still stylish and a kind face. Next to her were two children, a skinny girl with knobby knees and barrettes in her dark blonde hair, and a boy, maybe a year or two younger, with shaggy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. "This here is my wife Carol, and this is Sophia and Jeremy. This is Beth."

The woman, Carol, smiled and reached out for a handshake. "Oh, so you're Beth. Nice to finally meet you."

Beth smiled, trying to hide her confusion. Had Daryl been talking about her? She fought the flush that threatened to cover her cheeks. "What can I get you guys?"

They all gave their orders in turn, and Beth got to scooping. Jeremy piped up, "Uncle Merle, can I get sprinkles on mine?"

Beth looked up suddenly. _Uncle Merle? I thought it was just Merle and Daryl. Surely…no. Maybe he's Carol's nephew._

"Sure, kiddo. We oughta get something for yer dad, too." He looked up to Beth. "You know what his favorite flavor is?"

Beth's heart was pounding as it sank into her stomach, which was currently residing in her feet. She felt her face blanch; she gulped down the lump growing in her throat. "His favorite…flavor?" she asked shakily.

Merle grinned at her. "Well, yeah. I figured all the times you've been talkin' and getting' together, maybe it came up."

_Oh my god. No. No no no. _Merle started giving her a funny look. "You okay, li'l bit? You don't look so good."

"I'm…" she squeaked then cleared her throat and tried again, "I'm fine. Just…it's almost dinner. Must be hungrier than I thought. Uh, no, I don't know his favorite flavor, but I would probably recommend peanut butter surprise…though maybe he'd be more into rocky road." Beth fought to keep her voice steady. She knew full well he wasn't fond of peanut butter, but he was certainly in for a rocky freakin' road. W_ell, too freakin' bad for him._

She finished scooping up their order and rang them up, trying to control the feeling of annoyance growing within her. Beth was relieved that they all took their ice cream to go. She was proud of herself for not breaking down and crying in front of Daryl's brother…and his son. As soon as they were out the door, she begged her boss for a quick break and rushed to the back room and released the tears she'd been holding back among the stacks of waffle cones and boxes of plastic spoons.

It all made sense now – why he could never stay over, or even stay late; his comments about starting an early morning routine right as school was starting up again; why his evenings were always so busy with meetings and the like. How could she have been so stupid, so blind? Her tears ran hotly down her cheeks, transforming from tears of embarrassment to those of anger.

Boy, was she angry – angry at him for keeping something so huge from her, and angry at herself for trusting him, unquestioningly. She felt like a class A idiot.

She wiped the tears off her cheeks and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She shook her hands vigorously, trying to ease her shakiness, and tilted her head to either side to relieve some of the tension that had built in her neck. She breathed out forcefully and pushed the storage room door open. She finished out the remainder of her shift, focusing on being friendly to the rest of her customers despite her suddenly sour mood.

As the evening wore on, the stream of customers dwindled to a trickle, then to barely anyone coming in at all. "I guess everyone's going to bed early because of school tomorrow," her boss commented. "You wanna head out a little early? I know you've got a drive ahead of you and teaching tomorrow."

Beth could have hugged the woman. "Thank you," she gushed.

"Well, thank you for pulling a double! Let me know if you want more hours during the week instead of working all weekend, okay sweetie?"

Beth smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Dottie, I will. Have a good week!" she said as she clocked out and walked to her car.

As soon as she was in the driver's seat, Beth let her head drop back onto the headrest behind her. _What a day._ Her thoughts returned immediately to Daryl. She checked her phone, and sure enough, there were four missed calls and voicemails and three texts, all from him. She saw the previews of each text on her screen.

**_Merle told me he saw you. Told me..._**

**_Beth, I'm so sorry. I shoulda told you…_**

**_Please call me. Please. I wanna exp…_**

_Fat chance, jerk_, she thought angrily as she tossed her phone onto the seat, not bothering to listen to the voicemails or respond to any messages; she started the car's engine and tore off down the street. She had to make a conscious effort not to speed on her long drive home, knowing her lead foot was more than willing to take control while her thoughts raced around her head.

How could he do this? Keep something this huge from her? The more she thought, the more she realized it wasn't so much that he had a kid, but that he'd hidden such a big part of his life from her all this time. Then it hit her – what if he's married? _No…no, Daryl wasn't that kind of man…was he?_ The sad part was, she didn't know anymore. If he could keep his own son a secret from her, what else had he been hiding? Angry tears threatened to fall once again, blurring her vision before she wiped them away. She rolled down her windows part way, needing to feel the wind on her face to help keep her from breaking down completely.

Before she knew it she was driving through the now-familiar streets of her neighborhood. She didn't remember any part of her drive up here and was grateful that her brain going on auto-pilot hadn't resulted in her getting a speeding ticket…or worse.

Now that she was safe in her driveway, she let the tears come, flowing freely down her cheeks. She openly sobbed, letting her heart finally break. She just felt so incredibly stupid, and was angry at herself for being so…gullible.

When she had cried herself out enough, at least for now, she rolled up her windows, grabbed her purse from the passenger seat and climbed out of the car. She took her laundry basket full of clean and folded clothes, and shut the door with her hip. She felt exhausted, easily understandable considering having worked a double and dealing with all kinds of new emotional…crap. She kept her eyes focused on the steps in front of her, not wanting to misstep and fall.

Her heart stopped and she had to reach out for the handrail to steady herself when, on the step in front of her, she found two very recognizable work boots. Her tired eyes travelled upward and confirmed it; there, seated on her top step…

…was Daryl.

**I know. I know. I make you wait what feels like ages and then end it on a cliffhanger like that. **

**I've had a lot of you guess that Daryl had a kid…yes, yes, you're very smart. It about killed me seeing everyone figure it out – I thought I had been so sneaky. Not sneaky enough, I guess. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I may not be able to update again until after New Year's (though you never know, I might just surprise you with a belated Christmas present…). Just in case, Merry Christmas, my lovelies, and Happy New Year. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. It all means more to me than you know.**


	11. Learning

**Lady in Red – Chapter 11**

Daryl was sitting at the top of the steps leading up to her door. His head hung low, his shaggy hair hanging over his eyes. Beth wasn't even sure that his eyes were open; they were completely hidden from her. He was still dressed in his coveralls from the garage, still covered in oil stains, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

In his grease-covered hands was a single pink rose.

Beth stood in front of him, two steps below so their heads were on the same level; when he finally looked up, they were staring each other straight in the eye. He looked like hell, like life had just kicked him to the curb. His eyes held a heartbreaking mixture of fear and repentance. Beth took in a deep breath, willing herself not to get sucked into feeling bad for him. She knew he'd never want her pity...not that she cared what he wanted at the moment. She looked down at the laundry basket and shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. _Fight it, Beth. He lied...a lie of omission. He hid something that was beyond huge from you. _

"I'm sorry."

Beth squeezed her eyes shut; she was instantly ready to forgive him for all of it. The pain and sadness in his voice was palpable and cut right through to her heart. _No, Beth. Be strong. He hurt you, too._

"Sorry for what?" she finally bit back. "For sitting in my way so I can't get to my own door? For keeping the fact that you have a son from me? Or sorry you got caught? Sorry I found out?" Beth hardly even recognized her own voice.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he said softly.

Despite her anger, Beth knew he was genuine, sincere. She could feel her resolve crumbling. Steeling herself, she stepped around him toward her door, dropped the basket of clothes on the landing, and dug through her pocket for her key. She forced the key angrily through the keyhole and shoved the door open. Beth yanked the laundry basket up to her hip and stomped into her apartment. In her haste to get through the door, away from Daryl's piercing gaze, she neglected to shut the door behind her. She dropped the basket on the floor at the foot of her bed, not caring when it toppled over and some of the contents spilled out. When she returned to the living room, Daryl was standing, still on the landing, just outside the entryway. He twirled the rose slowly between his fingers, his head hung low again.

"Why?" she asked once she was standing several feet in front of him again, trying to keep her voice even, fighting hard to keep it from shaking and to keep control of the tears threatening to fall. Daryl shrunk in on himself minutely before bring his eyes up to meet hers again. "Why would you keep something like that from me?" She watched as Daryl just stood there. "What, was I...was I just some fling to you? Just someone to pass some time with? Was I..." she swallowed down the queasiness threatening to overtake her. "Was all this to make his mom jealous?"

"No!" he finally spoke; he even took a step forward into the apartment, but quickly stepped back so he was outside. "Beth, it was none of those things, I swear."

She crossed her arms and fixed him with a hard stare. "What was it then?" She held her arms tight across her chest, trying to hide how much she was shaking, nervously waiting in anticipation for what she hoped was the truth. Daryl stood there in the doorway, like he was trying to work out what to say. "Well, are ya gonna come in or not?" she said testily.

He looked up at her and nodded sheepishly, stepping over the threshold and closing the door behind him. "I shoulda told you. I wanted to, but..."

"But what, Daryl? Havin' too much fun getting' your kicks with me?" She shot back.

"I didn't want to lose you."

Beth tried to hide her shocked reaction and just barely kept her jaw from dropping to her chest.

"I was afraid that if ya knew I had a kid, ya'd leave me, tell me to fuck off. Why would someone like you, with her whole life ahead of her, want to be saddled down with some redneck nothin' with a kid ta boot?" He paused, his breath coming in harsh puffs, as if he were trying to control his own emotions just as Beth was. "And now I'm afraid I went and lost ya anyway," he finished with a mumble.

Beth let his words wash over her. His logic might have been bass-ackwards, but it almost made sense...if you thought like Daryl. She relaxed a little, softening her expression. She dropped her hands to her sides and moved to the couch, leaning heavily on the arm, not sure how much longer her legs would be able to support her. The emotional roller coaster she was riding had just taken an unexpected turn. She figured if Daryl wanted to sit, he could sit, but she wasn't about to invite him. Beth waited for him to continue and looked at him expectantly.

Daryl watched her every second, but stayed rooted to the spot, still slowly twirling the flower in his fingers. "I met Jeremy's...my son's...mom in college. Some stupid frat party at the end of our junior year. We hooked up that night, both too drunk to think about protection. We hadn't really known each other before hand, didn't stay in touch after. A couple months later she sought me out, had a little surprise for me. Told me it was mine, had no proof sayin' it wasn't. Her parents woulda disowned her if she just...if she just had it taken care of.

"I mighta been raised by the biggest asshole this side of King County, but I wasn't about to let my kid grow up without a father. I...I did what I thought was right. We got married. Weren't no ceremony or nothin', just me an' her and the justice of the peace. I dropped outta school and got a mechanic job and some piddly grocery clerk job on the side to provide for 'em. She stayed in school, took summer classes so she could graduate early before the baby came. She was pre-law, bound and determined to be some big shot lawyer." He chuckled a little and shook his head. "I worked my ass off so she could keep going to school. Barely made enough to pay for bills and daycare and shit she said she needed while she..." He puffed out a breath, "As much as her parents were against her havin' an abortion, they couldn't be bothered to help pay for anything. Said she was a married woman now, let her husband take care of her. So I did. I wasn't gonna be some deadbeat dad like my old man was.

"After she got done with law school, she got hired onto this little rinky dink law firm in Atlanta. Worked her way up until she got on with a bigger firm...then another. She finally got the fancy office she wanted, finally making money on her own where she didn't need me no more 'cept to watch Jeremy while she...prepared for cases." Daryl shook his head slowly. "Made it perfectly clear I wasn't ever good enough for her. Reminded me daily I was worthless, that she only stayed with me to keep up appearances for her parents and to take care o' Jeremy. The mechanic of her misfortune...that's what she called me."

He looked straight at Beth. "I took care of our boy best I could. One day I took off early for his birthday to surprise him, pick him up from school and take him to a Braves game. Came home to change, and found her in bed...with one of the partners from the firm. Turns out part of her preparation process was steppin' out on me.

"I was faithful to her, right from the beginning. Not that I felt any kind of obligation to her, but I didn't want my kid growin' up in a home like that. Wanted him to have better than what I had, and that's all my dad ever did - step out on my mom, drink, and beat the shit out of me. I wanted better for Jeremy."

Beth nodded, letting the truth settle in her mind. "Where's his mom now?" she whispered, not entirely sure she was ready to hear the answer.

Daryl let out a humorless laugh, "She's gone. Had the papers ready for me to sign the next day. She got the house, I got Jeremy. Don't think she ever wanted him anyway. I know damn sure she never loved me, prob'ly didn't even like me. Been livin' with Merle an' Carol ever since. Credit's shit from the divorce, hard to find a place that'll rent to me, plus all kinds o' lawyer bills I've been tryin' ta pay off."

He took a tentative step forward. "I never loved her...only stayed with her cause I thought it was right. Not right for me, but for Jeremy. Never loved anyone but him," he took another step forward, putting himself directly in front of Beth, "until you.

"I love you, Beth."

Beth wasn't sure when she'd started crying; she only realized she had been when Daryl reached out and brushed away a tear that had found its way down her cheek. She couldn't move. Hearing Daryl's story, then his confession of his feelings for her had left her struck dumb. Words had completely failed her, her mind not connecting to the rest of her body at all.

"Look, if you want me to go, I'll go. I'm sorry I kept everything from you. I understand if you don't wanna talk to me again." He set the rose on the kitchen table behind her, gave her one last look, and turned and walked out the door, shutting it softly behind him.

_Move, Beth. Move! _Beth reached slowly for the rose, her fingers closing around its slender stem. _Stop him! Stop just standing here and go and stop him! _Her feet finally started obeying her brain. She stumbled to the door and yanked it open. She stepped onto the landing and frantically searched for Daryl; he was already halfway down the driveway when she saw him. "Daryl!" she called out.

He spun on his heels and looked up at her.

"Stay."

**Super short, I know, but I've already got the next chapter going. Tell me what you think. Happy New Year!**


	12. Accepting

**Lady in Red – Chapter 12**

**I promise, PROMISE, I had this chapter going when I posted the last one. The thing is, these two wanted to go one way and it was in the complete opposite direction of the way I wanted to go. I think they're just as impatient as some of my readers are ;-) Don't worry, kids, I finally got them to listen and we had a little heart to heart and I've got the next nine chapters pretty well mapped out (after some serious negotiating). I made this one extra-long to make up for the wait. Enjoy!**

The look on Daryl's face almost broke Beth's heart; relief washed over his features like a calm cooling rain. He ran back up the driveway, but paused at the bottom of the stairs, as if he wasn't sure how to proceed. He climbed the stairs slowly; Beth could see the tension running through his body, like he was holding himself back from just running to her. When he reached the top, he knelt at her feet, wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead to her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Beth," he whispered. "Please...I can't stand to lose you, I love you so much. I'm so sorry."

Tears were streaming down both their faces. Beth could feel his dampening the fabric of her uniform, and she wasn't sure she'd ever stopped crying from, well, whenever she had started before. She ran her fingers through his long hair, tucking it behind his ears, and then gently turned his head in her hands upward to face her.

"I love you, too, Daryl."

A wide smile spread over her lips as his face lit up with his own. Before she knew it, Daryl was on his feet again, his arms still wrapped around her, and was holding her close to him. Her arms slid around his neck and held him fast. She didn't care that he was probably getting oil on her uniform. She didn't care that she probably looked a hot mess after pulling a double shift and crying her eyes out earlier. She didn't care that she was still in her ridiculously pink uniform with the oversized red buttons. All she cared about was him, here, with her.

Suddenly his arms tightened around her and she found herself weightless as Daryl carried her back inside; she heard the door close behind them and was gently placed back on the floor. He brought his hands to cup her face; she wrapped her slender fingers around his still dirty wrists, her thumbs tracing indiscriminate patterns on the backs of his hands. They stood there a moment, just looking at each other, their hearts beating as one.

Until he kissed her.

Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest as a soft moan escaped her. He pulled away, keeping the kiss chaste; it was over too quickly for her liking, and yet she was relieved at putting a little space between them.

"Thank you," she said softly. He searched her face, his eyes dancing between hers. She grinned and answered his unspoken question, "for telling me the truth. For trusting me."

"I shoulda told ya from the beginning. I'm sorry I didn't. When Merle told me he'd seen you and Jeremy...he knew you didn't know. I told him ya didn't know. I wanted to tell ya, I didn't want it to go down like this. Beth, I'm sorry."

Beth reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. "Stop apologizing," she said, echoing his words from the night before, and smiled against him. "I get it. No point in going over and over it. The important thing is you told me, so now we go on from here."

Daryl let out a strangled noise then dropped his head to her shoulder. "I don't deserve you. You are far too good for me," he mumbled before bringing his arms around her again.

Beth threaded her fingers through the hair curling along the nape of his neck; her other arm slid under his, her hand landing between his shoulder blades. "You're a good man, Daryl. No matter what happened before, you're a good man now," she whispered into his ear, her cheek pressed against his. "And whether you deserve me or not, you've got me. I love you."

Daryl pulled his head back and looked at her, his face almost one of disbelief and incredulity. He brushed the backs of his knuckles against her cheek, gazing at her admiringly for a moment before he licked his lips and crushed a kiss against her mouth. His thumb traced the apple of her cheek as his lips moved against hers. He stood up straight again, gazing down at her. Suddenly his eyebrows knit together. "Shit."

"What?" Beth asked, her voice strained with concern, her eyes searching his face. "What's the matter?"

Daryl took his hands away from her and stepped backward. "Must'a had some oil on my hand, got it on yer cheek." He shook his head and dropped his chin to his chest. "I can seriously screw anything up. I'm..."

"Stop," Beth halted him in his tracks. "Don't be sorry. It's okay. You go wash up, I'm gonna make us some food. I didn't get much of a dinner break, and I'm guessing you're hungry, too."

Daryl nodded sullenly and walked back toward her bathroom. Beth headed to the fridge, pulling out a couple things to reheat. She was setting their places at the table when Daryl reemerged with a washcloth in his hand. She looked at him questioningly as he approached her. He lifted her chin with two of his fingers and tilted her head to the side before gently scrubbing the grease stain left on her cheek. "Tryin' ta clean up my mess...starting with this one."

As he worked, she peered out of the corner of her eye and was surprised to see him in different clothes. "Where's your coveralls?" she asked, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

He chuckled as he turned the washcloth in his hands, apparently satisfied with getting the oil off her skin, to wipe off the soapy residue with a clean part of the cloth. "Left 'em in the bathroom, hanging behind the door. Figured you didn't want me gettin' oil stains all over your apartment."

Beth smiled a little, "Well, I appreciate that." He released her chin and she turned to face him. "Thank you," she breathed. She started to lose herself in his steely blue gaze, then shook her head slightly, breaking the trance, and gestured to the table. "Hungry? It's just leftovers, but you can pick and choose whatever you want."

They both sat at the small table, now bearing several plastic tubs of leftover meals from the past week. "You made all this?" Daryl asked. Beth simply nodded, her mouth too full of spaghetti to speak her answer. Daryl looked at her approvingly. "Smart, beautiful, one hell of a singer and a damn good cook. Anything you can't do?"

Beth thought for a moment, tapping the tines of her fork against her lips as she chewed her food; her lips curled into a grin and she swallowed. "Nope."

Daryl scoffed, but he showed a small smile of his own before taking another bite. "Seriously, though, this is really good."

"Thanks," Beth said. "I learned from the best. I swear my mama's the best cook in the county, maybe even the state."

He scooped another bite into his mouth. "I don't doubt it, though it'd be hard to beat this."

They ate in silence for a while, until Beth prompted, "So...tell me about him."

Their eyes met, hers searching, his surprised and a little fearful. Daryl swallowed the bite he was chewing. "He's a nine-year-old boy," he shrugged. "He's a good kid, but has the Dixon stubborn streak in him. Gets himself in and out of trouble like no one else." He looked back down at his plate, "I know he misses his mom, but he tries not to let on, puts on a brave face. He's been taking the whole thing really well. Guess it's hard to get attached to someone who was barely there, ya know?"

Beth's heart melted for the little boy. She could just imagine him, all blue eyes and knobby knees, growing into the spitting image of his father, putting on a brave front so no one really knew what was going on inside. She imagined the heartbreak they'd both gone through, although, according to Daryl, there was no real love lost between him and his ex-wife, but Jeremy would have been hurt knowing, even at his young age, that his mom didn't really want him anymore. Had she ever even pretended to want to see him, to share custody? None of this was Jeremy's fault, and without even really knowing him, having only seen him for those few minutes earlier today, she just wanted to pull him into a hug and make him feel loved. She smiled as she realized she wanted to do the same for his father.

"So when do I get to _really_ meet him?" Beth questioned, trying to sound nonchalant but knowing what a huge thing she was actually asking.

It took a moment for Daryl to reply, giving her his signature shoulder shrug, "I dunno. Next weekend?"

Beth nodded, "That sounds good. What will you...what will _we_ tell him?" He gave her a confused look again. "About us. That I'm your friend, your girlfriend...what?"

Daryl thought again for a long while before focusing on her again. "He's a kid, but he's a smart kid. He'll probably figure it out before we even get a chance to tell him. If he asks, we tell him the truth," he paused and took her hand. "Tell 'im your my girl." He pulled her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

Beth's heart melted in her chest, her eyes misting over at the sweetness of his words. A slow smile crept over her face as she leaned in toward him. "Oh, Daryl," she whispered before he met her halfway and claimed her mouth in a sweet kiss, her eyes drifting shut. His tongue teased her lower lip, and Beth opened to him easily, willingly, and they deepened their kiss.

Beth's eyes snapped open when she suddenly felt herself being pulled out of her seat to stand. Her hands sought purchase on Daryl's shoulders, seeking stability as she fought the weightless feeling, both from the sudden movement and the breathtaking kiss he was bestowing on her. She was grateful for Daryl's strong arms surrounding her, supporting her, holding her close to him. His arms tightened around her, his hands roaming up and down her back, along her sides; she immediately relaxed into his embrace, her eyes drifting shut again. Her hands traced their way over his chest, his shoulders, until they were clenched in his hair and around the back of his collar. A thrill shot through her body when he moaned into her mouth, his tongue teasing and tasting her.

Daryl's hands tightened in the fabric of her uniform, pulling her intimately closer to him. There was just a hint of urgency to his kiss, one she had felt the last time they were in her apartment. She didn't want to put the brakes on, not just yet; she was enjoying this far too much. Still, she released her grip on him and pushed herself away from the warmth of his touch. Beth needed a moment to think, to breathe. Yes, he'd just confessed everything, and she'd forgiven him. She knew in her heart that they loved each other. Despite all this, there was still a teeny, tiny, niggling doubt lurking in the back of her mind. She needed to deal with that before things went any further between the two of them tonight; she needed a distraction from him.

Beth gave him a shy smile and spoke softly, "Sorry. I just...I need to clear off the table, wash these up real quick." She couldn't stop the blush covering her cheeks. _Ugh, what a lame excuse. Like he can't see through that,_ she chastised herself. The look on Daryl's face confirmed what she had just thought, but his half grin and lazy nod told her he wasn't upset. She tucked an imaginary hair behind her ear and began clearing off the table.

"You want some help?" Daryl offered.

She shook her head, "No, thanks. It won't take long, I promise." She stacked the leftover containers and plates and put them into the sink. She started running the hot water, intent on washing them quickly, but not so quickly that she couldn't think.

Beth knew the general direction tonight seemed to be headed, but was she ready for it? She loved him, and had for a while. She had always promised herself that her first time would be with someone she really and truly loved, which is why she'd never even thought about having sex with Jimmy or with Zach; she knew they had meant a lot to her, but it wasn't love...not really. Not like what she felt for Daryl. And she wanted that, wanted to share that part of herself with him. She thought again about the story of his ex-wife and his son. While Beth was sure she hadn't heard all the details, she was fairly certain he wasn't really holding anything back from her. He had trusted her with this other piece of his history, she would trust him at his word.

She was lost in her thoughts when Daryl came up behind her and dropped their used silverware into the warm, soapy water. She jumped a mile and ended up backing into him, sloshing water on the counter and herself in the process. He caught her hips to steady her. "It's okay, it's just me. Ya left those on the table. Figured you didn't want 'em sitting out or anything."

Beth wasn't sure how to answer, so she glanced up and over her shoulder and whispered, "Thank you." Her heart was hammering in her chest. She focused on finishing her task, which became increasingly difficult when his hands wandered from her hips, his thumbs tracing delicious patterns on her sides just underneath her ribcage, then his fingers working their way to her front. She was surrounded by him; even the inside of his elbows brushed against her breasts. Beth arched her back against him; she wanted him to touch her...everywhere.

Her mind was racing with possibilities of what might come next, unable to control where the thoughts went or what the rest of her was doing; her body took over, leaning back into his chest, her head dropping back onto his shoulder, allowing herself to lose herself in his solid warmth against her. Her still-soapy hands held onto the edge of the sink as he inhaled, breathing in her scent. A soft moan escaped her lips as his fingers linked together over her stomach and he bent his head to kiss her neck. He started with just simple kisses, then his tongue snuck out, sending goose bumps all over her body, startling and thrilling her all at once.

Beth felt his hands part to return to her hips, then the slightest pressure, and she followed his silent command, turning to face him. Her hands were still dripping wet, but neither of them cared when she looped her arms around his neck and suds and drops of water started running down her fingers and onto his back. He pulled her close, sealing his mouth over hers, pressing her firmly against him. Their tongues sought each other, meeting and dancing together naturally.

"I think the rest can soak for a while," Daryl murmured against her mouth.

Beth smiled against him and nodded. There was no way she could stop herself this time even if she wanted to. All inhibitions had finally been left behind. She took a step toward him, and because they were already pressed together so closely, Daryl was forced to take a step back. Beth took another step, and another, until he caught on that she was leading him out of the kitchen without breaking their kiss.

When they reached the living room, Daryl made to move toward the couch, but Beth grabbed the shoulders of his shirt and stopped him. He looked down at her, confused, and she smiled back at him and shook her head. She slid her hands down his arms, appreciating the strength she felt beneath her fingers, and grabbed his hands and pulled. His expression didn't change as she took a step backwards this time, leading him to the back of her apartment. Two more steps and Daryl realized where they were headed.

Beth had just reached her bedroom door when Daryl planted his feet, stopping them both. She turned to face him. "Beth...are you sure?" he questioned.

She looked up at him and saw the doubt written all over his face. Beth reached up with her free hand to cup his cheek, her thumb rubbing against the stubble that grew there. She dropped his hand and framed his face with her hands. "Yes, Daryl. I...I think I'm ready now."

"You think?" his voice was still soft, but jumped an octave.

"I...I know," she corrected. "I love you," she whispered just before she brought his mouth down to meet hers. She tried to prove just how ready she was with her kiss. Daryl seemed to stay hesitant for a moment until his resolve broke and his arms encircled her once again. He brought her flush up against him and began walking her toward her bed.

Beth gasped against him when the backs of her legs bumped up against the edge of the bed. Daryl brought his hand up to her waist and gently guided her back to sit down, then reached down to lift her legs and swivel her around and lay her down on the pillows behind her. He crawled in the bed beside her and brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheek. "You are so beautiful," he murmured, then paused, gazing lovingly at her for a long moment. Beth began to grow nervous at what he was about to say. Finally he spoke, "Beth, before we go one inch further, I wanna know...you done any o' this before?"

Beth flushed at the question. Was it that obvious? She shook her head slightly, embarrassed that he somehow knew she was a virgin without her telling him. Of course he knew, with all the times she'd stopped him from doing anything too intimate, she realized now. "No, but I...I want you to be my first. I've never felt like this about anyone, Daryl. I've never wanted anyone the way I want you."

Daryl gazed down at her, taking her in, as if he was making up his mind about something. "I know exactly what you mean," he finally said. "You gotta promise me, baby, promise that the second this gets to be too much, you tell me. I know you think you're ready, but you can change your mind any time, and it's okay. Promise?"

Beth gave him a shaky smile. "Promise," she breathed. The moment the word left her mouth, his lips were on hers, his hand under her jaw. He reached behind her and carefully pulled the elastic from her hair, undoing her ponytail. Her long blonde hair was spread out behind her on the pillow. Daryl wove her golden locks through his fingers, cupping the back of her head.

She felt his body pressing against her, pushing her gently into the mattress; she welcomed the weight on top of her, her hand coming up to his shoulder and pulling him closer. He braced himself on his elbow, supporting his upper body to keep from crushing her; she still felt his broad chest, crushing her breasts between them. The rest of his body turned with the movement, his leg coming to rest between the two of hers. Her hands began roaming up and down his back, loving the feeling of all his muscles moving beneath her fingers. Beth felt the urge to move her hips against him, and went with it, earning her a low groan from Daryl that was music to her ears.

Daryl tore his mouth away from hers, planting kisses along her cheek, her jaw. He nibbled on her ear lobe, eliciting a soft gasp from her. His mouth trailed down her neck, biting softly down on the tendons there, working his way down to the slight dip of her collarbone, where his tongue teased her pulse to a frantic pace. He shifted his weight again, rolling off her as his hand found its way between them, thumbing the top button of her uniform. He pulled his head up, gauging her reaction as he pushed the button through its hole, revealing a small triangle of her creamy skin. His eyes never left hers as he reached for the second, the third, on down until all the buttons had been undone.

Beth's heart was racing as his hand trailed along her stomach, up her chest, to the collar of her dress. He kissed her gently as his fingers lit across her skin, pushing the fabric along with them toward her shoulder, exposing her left breast, still concealed by her lacy white bra. He shifted his weight and pushed the other half of her dress away, baring her whole torso to him. Her chest heaved as she breathed heavily with want, desire, and nervousness. Seeming to sense her anxiety, he dropped soft kisses against her lips, slowly making his way down her neck, giving her plenty of time to prepare for him to travel further down her body.

Daryl kissed the soft mounds on her chest through the lacy fabric of her bra, the heat from his mouth scorching through. Suddenly, his weight and his warmth disappeared. Beth blinked her eyes open. "Daryl...what...what's wrong?"

"Ain't nothin' wrong, buttercup. Just wanna make sure yer comfortable," he said, kneeling before her, his legs on either side of her left leg. He held his hands out to her, and she placed hers in his. Daryl gently pulled her up to a sitting position, one arm reaching around her to help support her back. He licked and sucked at the sensitive skin along the column of her throat as he went to work sliding her sleeves down her slender arms, baring her entire top half to him. She fought off a chill as both of his hands reached around her and unsnapped the clasp of her bra. "This okay?" he asked, making sure to give her every chance to stop that he could.

Beth reached up to her shoulders and slid the straps of her bra over and down her arms, her eyes never leaving his. She took one last, calming breath and slowly took the garment off, completely baring herself to him.

"Sweet Jesus," Daryl breathed and kissed her, easing her back onto the bed. Beth put her hand on his chest, stopping him. His face was immediately awash with concern. "You alright?"

Beth only nodded, then grinned up at him. She curled her fingers into the front of his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. She slid her tongue along his lips, which he opened for her. Feeling brave, she swept her tongue against his as she reached for the bottom hem of his t-shirt, pulling it loose from the waistband of his jeans. She worked her way around, freeing the fabric as she went, until she could start sliding his shirt up and over his back.

Daryl reached back between his shoulders, breaking their kiss so he could slip his shirt over his head. He tossed the shirt off to the side, neither of them seeming to care where it landed. Beth's hands ghosted over his skin, delighting in the feel of him under her fingertips. Together they eased back to the bed. He pushed off of her, allowing him to look down at her body, offered up to him so willingly. "God, you're so damn beautiful. What the hell'd I ever do to deserve you?"

Smiling, Beth reached up to thread her fingers through his hair and pull him down, their mouths meeting perfectly. Daryl pulled back and began kissing his way down again, tracing the same path he'd made so many times already, as if he couldn't get enough of tasting her there. His motions slowed, only slightly, as he reached her chest. He followed down her sternum, letting his tongue taste the valley between her breasts, perky enough to be pointing toward the ceiling with her tightened peaks. He ran the tip of his tongue along the underside of her breast, creating a slow semi-circle as he moved from side to side, not leaving one inch untasted.

He suddenly stopped his movements, silently demanding Beth to look at him, always mindful of where she was at in her readiness. Not sensing any resistance, he traced his tongue around her nipple, teasing it into a tight bud. He wrapped his lips around it, and as he applied just the slightest pressure, Beth arched her back toward him, pushing her breast closer to him, and let out a loud gasp. He opened his mouth wider, taking more of her sensitive flesh in, and suckled her, drawing out a low, long moan from her. Daryl smiled against her and skimmed over to her other breast, letting the hairs of his goatee graze along her skin on the way, and repeated the entire process. Where Beth's hands were fluttering at her sides before, now they found their way to the back of his head, holding him there where she needed him.

Her voice came out breathy, full of need and desire, "Oh, Daryl...oh my god." He sucked harder on her nipple, earning himself a shriek of surprise and delight, and flicked at her with the tip of his tongue. Her breath was coming to her in loud pants and gasps; her hips bucked upwards against his.

Daryl let out a soft growl as he stretched out on top of her. As he did, he ran his hands up her sides and along her arms, effectively bringing her hands above her head and linking his fingers with hers. He lowered himself onto her, teasing her already sensitive breasts with the hairs on his chest, creating such delicious friction between them they were both moaning as they kissed.

"Daryl...please..." she whispered, though never saying what she was asking for.

He planted one more soft kiss to her lips and pushed himself off her, letting his arm drape across her midriff. His palm followed the curve of her hips, along her stomach, and upward to cup her breast, his thumb and finger gently pinching the already tightened bud of her nipple. All the while, his mouth was busy paying homage to her other breast, continuously teasing his tongue against her.

Suddenly he changed direction with his hand and trailed his fingertips lower, between her hips, skimming over her navel, skating along the waist of her dress. He turned his hand, his fingers pointing away from her, his palm flat on her belly, and, very slowly, began moving toward the juncture of her thighs. His fingers brushed along the elastic of her panties; Beth gasped and cried out, her back arched, her hips bucking up toward his hand.

A jarring, harsh sound pierced the air, and the mood – a version of "Highway to Hell" cutting through the room. They both looked at each other, startled. "Shit," Daryl muttered as realization dawned on him. "Damn phone," he said by way of apology. He tried reaching into his back pocket, but couldn't get hold of his phone from the angle he was at. Daryl pushed himself off the bed and yanked the phone out of his pants, which Beth noticed were fitting him very tightly, particularly in front. She fought the urge to cover herself with her arms, thinking he'd already seen her, there was no point in hiding from him now.

Daryl answered angrily, "The hell you want?"

Beth could hear a tinny voice answer, "Oo-wee, baby brother. 'M I interrupting somethin'?"

She saw Daryl's shoulders tense as he fought not to get pulled into it. "What do you want, Merle?" he demanded.

"Just wanted to remind ya it's a school night. Jeremy's startin' ta get tired. You gonna be home to put 'im to bed?"

Daryl muttered a string of curse words under his breath, hanging his head and pinching the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. He let out a long and loud sigh. "Yeah. I'm leavin' soon."

Beth felt her heart sink. She sat up, moving to the edge of her bed and wiggling back into her uniform, not bothering with her bra. She was buttoning the last two buttons when Daryl hung up the phone and turned to face her.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. I guess I lost track o' time."

Beth bit on her lower lip to keep it from quivering. She felt disappointed and not a little bit embarrassed, though she couldn't explain why. Maybe because she had been the one to start things off, and once again they were forced to stop before they really got anywhere. Granted, they'd gotten further than they ever had before, and it was wonderful...more than wonderful. She shook her head, "It's okay, Daryl," completely failing to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Hey, hey," he crossed the room to kneel in front of her for the second time that night. He took both of her hands in his and waited for her to meet his eyes. "We'll get there. We will. I said before, I ain't goin' nowhere unless you tell me to." He thought for a moment when Beth raised her eyebrows at him. "Okay, I have to get home soon, but this...us...you and me...it doesn't end tonight." He scooted closer to her so his arms were resting on her thighs. "I love you, Beth."

"I love you, too," she murmured, trying her best not to sound as sad as she felt.

Daryl smirked up at her. "We'll make this work. I know we will. So it wasn't tonight...something to look forward to, right?" Beth nodded, then lowered her eyes to look at their joined hands. "Come on, buttercup. It'll be alright. Thing is, I can't leave til I see that beautiful smile a yours."

His loving words melted away the gloom that had tried to settle into her heart; a slow smile crept across her lips and her eyes met his again.

"That's my girl," he said as he tucked her hair behind her ears and let his thumbs brush against her cheeks. "I love you so much, Beth. You don't know how much it's killing me to leave you, but...I gotta go. I'll talk to you once I get home, okay?" Beth nodded and tried not to release the tears that once again threatened to fall. "You," he moved his thumbs against her skin again and readjusted so she was looking right at him, "are an incredible woman. I will never know what I did to be so lucky as to have you." He pulled her down to him for a kiss, which started off sweet but quickly returned to the passion they had so recently shared. He backed away, pulling her lower lip between his own as he did. "Damn, you're a good kisser," he grinned up at her.

She gave him a tiny smile back, "You're not so bad yourself, you know." He started to get up, but she stopped him. "I mean that. You're not as bad as you make yourself out to be." She leaned down to kiss him again. Neither of them seemed to be able to stop kissing long enough to break away from each other.

"I gotta go, baby," he whispered against her lips in between kisses. "I'm sorry, but I gotta." He pushed himself to his feet and went looking for his shirt.

Beth noticed he did nothing to hide the scars on his back from her tonight. Maybe it was because he was in a hurry to leave, but she hoped it was more than that, hoped that it was because he was really beginning to trust her with all parts of his past.

As he searched for his shirt, she went to the bathroom to retrieve his coveralls, which she hastily folded for him. They met in the hallway, where she handed him his rolled up garment, then walked together to her front door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob, then turned to face her.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice heavy with concern.

Beth wrapped her arms around herself and nodded, "Yeah. I'll be okay. Just...a lot of stuff to let sink in, wrap my brain around, you know? I promise, I'll be okay." She smiled up at him and stepped closer, winding her arms around his waist and letting her cheek rest against his chest. "Thank you for...tonight," she managed before looking up at him.

He grinned and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. "I love you, Daryl."

"I love you, Beth." He pulled the door open and stepped outside, then turned and left one last, crushing kiss against her lips. "G'night, buttercup."

**Thoughts? Let me know! Thanks to all who have followed, favorited and reviewed. A special shout out to my guest reviewers. I wish I could thank you personally...until you get a sign in, this will have to suffice. Happy New Year, kids!**


	13. Working

**Lady in Red – Chapter 13 – Working**

**Gonna try starting a new thing here. Thanks to all who have reviewed: Tania Ibarbia, lithriel23, Saffia, Bethgreenewarriorprincess, cemmia, bbjorgman, Remi Savant, sourpatchkid26, emerald35isle, mamaDCB, SaraiVe, crimsonrose0003, Niah, kevkye, DarylDixon'sLover, princebuddy, Kshawbee, wewak, AliKattz, daneruhl, doofydizee, , foreverwishing, PolkaDotSocks93, galivin91, katiegirl99, PenelopePants, AttackofTheEvilPixies, UltimateBethylFicList, Maykits, carpediem-365, LolaRitaVida, gwenstacy, jaimek45, malzateb, castlefan83, Malachite16819, Natercia, Loves2Paint, JustThatRedhead, guesswhofern, pamela856, An Amber Pen, ameswilf, SirensCalling, lisasays, Ballykissangel, Carowen, and my many guest reviewers for leaving love for this story. **

**And now without further ado, at long last, an update!**

It was almost exactly an hour that had passed before Beth's phone began to ring. She had finished the dishes that had been left to soak in the sink, and was now curled up in her bed, trying to concentrate on the book lying open in her lap, determined to relax so she could get at least some sleep that night. Despite all her efforts, she kept ending up reading the same line over and over, the words swimming in front of her eyes. Her mind kept drifting to Daryl – all that he'd told her, all that he'd done for her...and to her. If she let her mind wander far enough, she could swear she still felt his hands and lips on her. She teased her nipple with her own fingertips, still a little sensitive from Daryl's attention, and flushed as it hardened. It's like he had marked her, branded her with his love...and she was more than happy to wear it.

She jumped when her phone started to ring on the nightstand next to her. Grinning widely, already knowing who would be on the other end, she answered, "Hey handsome."

"That how you answer the phone now?"

Beth smiled into the receiver, "Only when I know it's you on the other end. How was your ride back?"

"Alright. Woulda been better if you'd a been holdin' on to me."

Beth giggled, "Some other time."

"It's a date," he responded, then paused. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

She glanced at her alarm clock sitting on the dresser across her room. "Daryl, it's 9:45. I may be a Senior, but I'm not _that_ old," she said teasingly.

Daryl scoffed, "Oh, so that's how it goes, huh?"

"Oh, Daryl. I was just teasing. You aren't that old, either," Beth tried placating him. After a pause, she added, "Besides, I think older men are sexy."

"Uh-huh," he grunted in reply.

A quiet moment passed, "So, was Jeremy okay?" She felt a little awkward bringing up the topic of his son, but she figured she'd need to get used to it since he would be a significant factor in their relationship now. She definitely felt no ill will toward Jeremy; in fact, her heart went out to the little boy for being stuck in such a messy situation brought on by his parents. No, that wasn't true, either. Daryl hadn't done anything wrong. Beth felt herself tense up just at the thought of the boy's mother, Daryl's ex, but fought the anger rising in her, concentrating on her conversation with her boyfriend.

"Yeah, he's fine," Daryl answered. "He's snoozing away by now." Another brief pause lingered between them. "Is it Friday yet?" he asked.

Beth giggled again. "Not yet. But just think, once Friday gets here, we get a long weekend."

"Yeah," Daryl grumbled. "You know if you're working yet?"

"Probably will be. I need as many hours as I can get. Gotta pay rent and everything somehow, right?"

Daryl hummed in response, "Any idea what hours?"

"I won't know till Wednesday when the schedule comes out," she answered, grinning at the notion that maybe he was up to something. "Why do you ask?"

She could practically hear Daryl shrug. "Just looking forward to the next time I get to see my girl."

It was all Beth could do to stop herself from audibly sighing; her heart was positively fluttering, along with the butterflies in her stomach. No matter how many times he said it, a thrill raced through every part of her when Daryl called her his girl. "I know sweetie. I can't wait to see you, either." A sudden yawn snuck out of her mouth.

"Listen to you," he chided gently. "You need to get to bed."

Beth giggled and said flirtatiously, "I'm already in bed." Daryl's groan in her ear had her heart racing and her cheeks growing warm and flushed. Another thrill raced through her body, beginning with her already fluttering heart. It amazed Beth that even talking to him on the phone, miles away from each other, he had this kind of effect on her. He hadn't even said a word and instantly her imagination was conjuring images of them together in her bed. The realization that she apparently had the same effect on him, at least based on that low and sexy moan, washed over her and deepened the blush already on her face and creeping down her neck. "Seriously, though, I probably should be getting some sleep. Need my beauty rest."

"Don't need much," Daryl commented and Beth fought back another sigh. "Alright, buttercup. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Beth said, stifling another yawn. "Sleep well, Daryl."

"You too. Love you."

Beth didn't ever want to stop talking to this wonderful, secretly romantic man. Her common sense kicked in, however, and she replied, "I love you, Daryl. Good night."

"Good night, Beth."

The rest of Beth's week went smoothly. She began working more with the music classes, rather than just observing. She apparently ended up impressing her cooperating teacher with her knack for managing the kindergarten classes, so much in fact that by Wednesday, she suggested that Beth do the warm-up activities with all the classes. Little by little, Beth was beginning to learn the students' names, and was making connections with the other teachers as well.

Just as exciting for Beth were the nightly conversations with Daryl. Most of the time she'd have to wait for Daryl to be done with work, then his meetings with Merle, but she felt it was well worth it. It turned out that Jeremy had decided he wanted to play pee-wee football, which took up more of Daryl's time, but Beth couldn't fault or begrudge him in the slightest. She was actually looking forward to going and cheering for Jeremy at one of his games.

It was the quiet time Beth spent waiting for Daryl to text or call that was the worst for Beth. She still hadn't gotten cable or internet set up in her apartment. Rent might have been cheap enough that she could afford it just working on the weekends like she had been, but if she wanted conveniences such as, well, basic technology, she came to realize she'd need another job closer to where she lived now.

Beth started to look for little part-time jobs in her end of town. As luck would have it, just down the street from the school was a little custard stand that was looking to replace three employees who had all left to go to college. She practically walked into the job, surprised at her good fortune. Her new boss seemed understanding that she could only start working weekends once she had put in her two week notice at the ice cream shop back at home. The best part was that here they were paid weekly, so Beth was able to set up appointments to get the wonder of technology installed in her new home for the next week.

She ended up only working a few days at the custard shop since it was her first week and needed a chance to learn the menu and all the ins and outs of her new workplace. She shadowed a boy about her age, Noah, who seemed very friendly and patient as he taught Beth the ropes. He had warned her about two of the managers, a man Noah only referred to as Gorman and the woman who had hired her, Dawn, but didn't go into detail as to why she should be wary of either of them. Beth did her best to keep her nose clean around the two of them and did her best to keep up.

Friday finally rolled around, and it turned out the school was on a half day schedule. The teachers had to stay the rest of the day for a staff meeting, but once that was over, she was free to go. During the meeting, the principal officially introduced Beth to the rest of the staff, even though she'd already met most of them when they'd dropped their classes off at the music room for class. They reviewed safety protocols and schedules for fire drills and assemblies coming up in the next month. After all the main topics had been discussed and everyone went for a break, Mrs. Hughes approached Beth.

"The rest of the afternoon we'll be going over renewing licenses and board certification. You're welcome to stay, if you like, but there won't be much for you to do." She looked at Beth expectantly, waiting for her answer.

"Oh," Beth stammered. "Well, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll head out. Thank you."

Mrs. Hughes thanked her in return and went to prepare for the next session of the staff meeting. Beth went to find Mrs. Shelor and let her know she was leaving.

"That's fine, hon. I don't blame you. Enjoy your long weekend!"

Beth grinned, "Thanks! You, too." With that, she all but ran back to the music room to get her belongings and headed out to her car. She had packed for the weekend already, so all she had to do was gas up and head home.

On the drive down, she got the idea to surprise Daryl at work. While she knew she wouldn't be able to "kidnap" him as he had done just a few weeks ago, she could at least surprise him with a treat. She stopped at the ice cream shop to get a couple hot fudge sundaes for the both of them. While she was there, Beth let Dottie, her boss, know about her new job. While the older woman obviously wasn't happy, she didn't seem surprised, either. "You're always welcome back, Beth," she said as she placed Beth's order in a paper bag. "On the house," she added when Beth went to take out her wallet in her purse. She thanked her boss with a wide smile and headed to her car.

Daryl's garage was a few minutes' drive from the ice cream shop, almost tucked away in a neighborhood a few blocks from down town. Beth was relieved to see that there weren't many cars in the parking lot, only two that were being serviced in the bays of the garage. She felt a little guilty that she hadn't brought something to share with the other employees, but resolved to send some cookies with Daryl the next chance she had.

An electronic bell chimed as she entered the tiny office and waiting area. Beth was surprised to see Merle entering the room from behind the counter.

"Hey there, lil bit! Car givin' ya trouble?" he asked in a friendly voice which belied his gruff exterior.

Beth greeted him with a genuine smile. "Hi, Merle. Good to see you. I didn't know you worked here, too."

"Sure do," he grinned proudly. "Mah baby brotha set me up not too long ago. I hit a pretty rough patch for a while and there was Daryl, comin' to save my ass from myself. Always was the sweet one," Merle explained. "Sure is sweet on you, I tell you what."

Intrigued, Beth fished for an answer and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh really? What makes you say that?"

Merle scoffed, "Hell, just that when he's not grinnin' like a crocodile, he's whistling like a damn bird. Every time he gets a chance, he checks his phone to see if he missed ya or somethin'. Never seen him so keyed up over a girl before."

Beth blushed at his answer. She felt like she was just let in on a secret that wasn't supposed to be shared. It wasn't really a surprise – they'd been telling each other "I love you," all week. Still, it felt private, and she wasn't sure where to go from here with this conversation.

"So, now yer here," Merle continued, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort. "Somethin' wrong with yer car?"

His question snapped her out of her reverie. "Oh, no, it's fine." Beth suddenly felt silly holding a treat for her boyfriend. 'Well...too late now,' she thought to herself. Beth shyly held up the paper bag with the ice cream inside. "I wanted to surprise Daryl is all. Is he here?"

Merle smirked at her, "Guess he ain't the only sweet one. Yeah, he's out back finishing his lunch. C'mon, lil bit, I'll take ya back."

She followed the older Dixon brother through the office and into a supply room, taking note of the boxes stacked haphazardly on the floor and shelving units and getting an idea for another surprise. 'Another day,' Beth grinned to herself. Merle rounded a sharp corner and pushed open a door that led to a small pavilion outside.

Sitting with his back to the door was Daryl, hunched over what was left of his lunch. From what Beth could see, he'd gotten take out from the diner near the ice cream shop; apparently they had just missed each other, for which Beth was relieved. She took a moment to admire the broadness of his shoulders, the definition of his arms exposed by his now sleeveless coveralls. She was about to sneak behind him and cover his eyes and have him "guess who," but that idea was shot down as Merle blurted out, "Got a visitor, baby brother."

Daryl turned to look over his shoulder, his expression of concern morphing into one of surprise. Merle told him, "I'll leave you two alone, let Ty know you're..." he cleared his throat, "taking an extended break," then closed the door as he returned inside, grinning the whole time.

Daryl rolled his eyes then stood up to greet Beth. "Hey, Buttercup. You playin' hooky?"

Beth grinned as she took a step closer to him, reaching up on her toes to peck him on the cheek. "No. Half day today. Thought I'd surprise you."

"Mission accomplished," he murmured. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but was holding back. Their eyes locked, and the electricity firing between them was palpable. Beth wanted nothing more than for him to put his hands on her. She longed for his touch, to be close to him, to feel his body against hers. In fact, the only thing keeping her from wrapping her arms around him and pressing herself against him were the numerous oil stains on his coveralls. By the look in his eyes, Beth had a feeling that he was feeling the same way she was and for the same reasons. Finally Daryl cleared his throat, shattering the tension between them, and asked, "Whatcha got there?"

She scooted around him to sit at the rickety picnic table where Daryl had been eating his lunch and unpacked the paper bag, revealing the ice cream sundaes inside. "I thought maybe you'd like some ice cream."

Daryl came up behind her and kissed her cheek and the side of her neck then sat opposite her. "You're the best, you know that?" he asked as he opened the container Beth had given him.

Beth took the lid off her sundae and groaned. Daryl looked up as she scooped the maraschino cherry off the top of the mound of whipped cream. "I forgot to remind Dottie how much I hate these." She offered Daryl her spoon, "Do you want my cherry?" She met Daryl's gaze and was confused by his expression; he was wearing a half grin and had cocked an eyebrow at her. "What?" she asked innocently and tried to figure out what she had said to warrant such a reaction...then the realization of her unplanned innuendo hit her like a truck.

"Oh my god," she stammered. "I...oh my god, I'm so embarrassed." It took all she had to not just drop her spoon on the table and tear out of there, never expecting to hear from him again. 'Okay, that may be a step too far,' she thought. Still, she wanted nothing more than to just disappear, for a hole to open in the ground and swallow her up.

Her eyes were still scrunched shut, hidden under her hand, when she felt a warmth wrap around her other hand, still barely holding onto the spoon. She peeked over her pointer finger to see Daryl grinning at her, then bringing his mouth to close around the bowl of the spoon. Slowly she let her hand drop from her eyes back to the table as she watched Daryl savor the sweet bite. The look in his eyes did nothing to calm the blush that she could swear was now covering her entire body. Daryl released her hand, and even though they were sitting outside in the middle of a late-August, Georgian afternoon, she felt the loss of his warmth as soon as he let her go.

He never commented on her offer, seeming to realize her embarrassment and not wanting to make the situation any worse than it already was. "So," he started in between bites, "you still gotta work all weekend?" Beth thought she detected a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Relieved he was at least moving on in conversation, she smiled and set her spoon in the Styrofoam bowl and grabbed a napkin to remove some of the stickiness from her lips before she spoke. "Actually, I have another surprise for you. I got a job closer to my apartment and put my two weeks' notice in today. I work a double tomorrow, but I'm free the rest of the weekend." She smiled as she saw his face light up.

"Yeah?" he asked excitedly. Beth felt her heart squeeze at his reaction. 'God, he is so cute,' she mused. "See, Sunday, Merle and Carol're havin' a cookout. I was thinkin' maybe you wanna come over?"

She picked up her spoon and scooped up another bite. "Daryl Dixon, are you asking me to meet your folks?" she asked teasingly before bringing the spoon to her mouth.

She wasn't sure if it was just the sun beaming down on them or if Daryl was actually blushing. "Yeah...I guess I am. They got a little above ground pool, so if ya wanna swim or whatever..." he trailed off.

"That sounds like fun. I'd love to come. What should I bring?"

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, don't worry 'bout bringin' anything. Carol always makes too much food anyway." Beth rolled her eyes at his answer, knowing full well she'd figure out something to bring, regardless of what he'd said.

They finished their sundaes, but neither made a move to get up. Daryl reached across the table and took her hands in his and rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles before bringing them to his lips to kiss each hand in turn. "I should probably get back to work. You at your parents' this weekend?"

Beth nodded, trying to keep the disappointment off her face. "Yeah. Haven't talked to them much since last weekend, so I should really make time for them, ya know?"

Daryl nodded back. "Alright. I'm not working til 10 tomorrow, so...I'll be up if you wanna talk later tonight or...whatever."

"I'll keep that in mind," she smiled. Beth wondered why he was acting so shy all of a sudden. Maybe she'd ask when they talked later that night.

Daryl guided her back through the storeroom, his hand never leaving the small of her back. Once they reached the front of the store, he walked her to her car and started kicking some loose gravel with the toe of his boot. "So...have a good rest of your day," Beth said, still not sure why he was behaving so standoffish. It was odd, even for Daryl. She ducked her head to meet his eyes, which were now hiding behind the fringe of his bangs. "Daryl, are you okay?"

He only nodded, averting his eyes to look at the ground once again.

"Hey," she said, a little louder than she'd meant to, but her change in tone got him to finally look up at her. "What's going on?" She was met with more silence, which was starting to frustrate her. "Did I do something?"

"No!" he finally answered.

"Then come on," she demanded softly. "Out with it."

Daryl's shoulders sagged as he let out a heavy sigh. "You have no idea what you do to me, do you?"

'Okay, I wasn't expecting that,' she thought.

"This whole time, I've wanted to haul off and kiss you, run my fingers through your hair. All week I been thinkin' of...of our last time together, and just wanna do it all over and over again." Daryl paused, as if bracing for her to react, or maybe preparing for what he wanted to say next. "But look at us. You're all done up from school, lookin' all cute and bringin' me ice cream, and me...all dirty and greasy. I ain't fit for ya, Beth."

"Daryl...you work at a garage. Of course you're gonna be dirty," she said, hoping to soothe his trepidation. "It doesn't mean anything against you. You don't wear these all the time, do you?" she asked, pulling on a clean spot of his coveralls. He shook his head, and she continued, "And I'm assuming you'll shower between now and the next time I see you?" grateful that he smirked as he nodded, showing that he'd taken it as a joke instead of as an offense. "Daryl, I love you, no matter how filthy you get."

Daryl snorted at that, "Yeah, you ain't seen how filthy I _can_ get."

She took a small step toward him, until there was a hairsbreadth between them, then reached up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "Something to look forward to, then," then kissed his cheek. "I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"

"Alright," he replied, then carefully brought his hand up to cup her cheek and kissed her tenderly. "Love you."

Beth smiled up at him. "Love you, too," she whispered before climbing into her car. Daryl backed away as she put the engine in gear and pulled out of the parking space. She blew him a kiss as he waved to her. She watched in her rearview mirror as he trudged back into the garage, hands in his pockets. A twinge of sadness sank into her heart, but she shook it off, knowing it wouldn't be long until she got to talk to him again.

The ice cream shop was slammed busy all day Saturday; everyone in town seemed to have come by, wanting to get ice cream to celebrate the last official weekend of summer. Beth skipped both of her short breaks, and only used half of her dinner break, knowing they needed all hands on deck to take care of the customers. Dottie came up to her towards the end of her shift.

"Would you mind staying a little later? I know you're supposed to be off at six, but we could really use the extra help." Beth agreed, happy to help, and admitting to herself that the extra cash would be nice, too. Besides, her daddy had taught her to never burn bridges, and she wanted to stay in her now former boss' good graces...just in case.

However, staying a little later ended up translating to staying until closing time. Beth was dead on her feet and barely had the energy to walk out to her car, let alone drive home. She collapsed into the driver's seat and exhaled a sigh of relief, taking a minute to herself before starting up the engine. She checked her phone, and smiled when she saw a missed call and text from Daryl. She called him without reading the message. "Hey, buttercup. You just get off work?"

Beth laughed sardonically, and not a little sleepily, "Yeah. Got talked into working basically open to close today."

"That sucks," Daryl commented. Beth only answered with a yawn. "You sound exhausted."

"I _am_ exhausted. Stupid work ethic," she muttered, and yawned yet again. "Talk with me while I drive home, keep me awake, okay?"

"Bullshit," Daryl barked out. "You stay right where you are. Don't you dare try and drive. I'll come get you."

Beth argued, "But Daryl, it's late. I'll be fine," and fought back another yawn. "Besides, I'm not sure I could hang onto the bike tonight. My arms are like jelly from scooping all day long."

"I already got Merle's truck keys in my hand and I'm heading out to the driveway now. I mean it, Beth, don't you dare try to drive."

"Yes, Mr. Dixon," she said, all the fight in her disappearing.

Within minutes, a pair of headlights pulled up behind Beth's car, their reflection in her rearview mirror casting directly into her already tired eyes. Daryl walked up to her door and tapped on the window. She opened the door as wide as she could without hitting him. "Dixon delivery service. You ready to go?" he asked with a smirk.

"I don't think I can take another step," Beth said, feeling weak and helpless. The next thing she knew, Daryl was pulling her door open wider and turning around, crouching low to the ground with his back to her.

"Hop on."

Beth laughed incredulously, "Are you serious?"

He looked over his shoulder at her. "As a heart attack. Come on, it's a serious piggy back. Can't have you fallin' down in the street. With our luck, a cop would drive by and think you were drunk," he teased.

Sheepishly, Beth scooted around in her seat until her feet were on the pavement, then she placed her hands on his broad shoulders, winding her arms around them to clasp her hands around his collarbone. He stood up carefully, catching her under her legs to hold her to his back. He closed the door behind him and walked her to the passenger side of Merle's old pick up, pulling the door open and backing up to place her on the bench seat inside. Satisfied that she was good to go, he walked around the front of the truck and climbed into the cab.

As they made their way toward the farmhouse, Beth scooted herself to sit in the center seat to rest her head on his shoulder, cuddling even closer when he reached his arm around her shoulders. The combination of all the intricacies of a late summer evening, her exhausting day at work, and the solid warmth of his arm and torso surrounding her brought a whole new, stronger wave of drowsiness. She fought to stay awake, but was fading fast, lulled closer to sleep by the low rumble of the truck's engine.

She didn't remember pulling from the highway onto the long, winding driveway leading to her family's house, but the next thing she knew, Daryl had put the truck in park and turned off the engine. She blinked her eyes open and sat upright. The only lights on in the house were the porch light and the lamp in the hallway, a sign that her parents were already in bed. Beth turned to look up at Daryl, "Thank you so much for driving me home. I still say I would have made it home by myself."

He rolled his eyes and smirked, "You keep tellin' yourself that. Want help getting in?"

"I think I can manage, but I won't turn it down," she breathed, peeking up at him from beneath her eyelashes.

Without another word, Daryl pushed the door open and hopped down from the cab, crossed to the passenger side, then leaned in, working his arms under her knees and behind her back, then pulled her easily across the bench seat to hold her close to his chest. Beth felt weightless as he carried her up the porch steps; he didn't even have to readjust as she dug through her purse for her keys to get into the house. "Which way is your room?" he whispered.

Beth was suddenly very alert as she realized that Daryl was apparently planning on carrying her up to her bedroom. It wasn't a huge deal, really; he was in her own bedroom just a week ago. There was definitely an added feeling of nervousness at the idea of having her boyfriend in her room in her parents' house, however. 'We can control ourselves, right? We've been able to so far,' she debated internally before answering him. "Top of the stairs, second door on the right," she breathed.

She marveled not only at his strength but his stealth as he crept up the stairs; the entire time, she never felt him jostle her nor heard a step creak beneath his feet. When he had finally reached her room, he gently set her down right next to her bed, then reached over to pull the covers back for her. He sat her down on the bed and knelt on the floor before her. He reached down and picked up one of her feet and freed it from its shoe, lightly massaging her ankle, then her heel, then working up her arch and the ball of her foot before setting it down carefully and repeating the process on her other foot. Beth bit her lip in an attempt to stifle the moan that was working its way up from her throat.

"God, that feels good," she whispered and let her head drop back, her eyes drifting shut. It took far too much effort to force them open again, so it was a complete surprise when she felt Daryl's hands on her knees, his thumbs tracing up and down her inner thigh. She shook herself to be more alert, working to focus on Daryl's face, his intense gaze meeting hers.

"Well, I should probably get going. I'll see you tomorrow, buttercup," Daryl excused himself.

Beth had to force herself not to call out to him, fought to keep her voice low, "You don't have to go right away, do you? Mom and Dad are asleep. We can just...talk...can't we?"

Daryl turned around to face her, smirking and cocking an eyebrow at her. "Just talk, huh?"

"Yes," she answered coquettishly. "We're two adults...we can control ourselves, right?"

"Sure," he said in a way that Beth couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic. He crossed back to her bed and sat next to her, leaning back on the mattress and propping himself on his hands, locking his elbows to keep himself upright. "So work was pretty busy, huh?"

Beth laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling closer to him, "Yeah. Labor Day weekend is always killer," she said into his chest. She sighed, then inhaled, letting her eyes drift shut again as his scent filled her nostrils. "You smell good. Guess you showered, huh?"

"Smart ass," he joked back at her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You smell like ice cream."

She smiled against him, "Gee, I wonder why." She pulled back a little to look at him, their eyes meeting once again. There was an undeniable fire burning in his eyes, and Beth was completely drawn to it.

They leaned into each other, their lips meeting as if in a practiced dance. She felt Daryl shift beside her, putting his weight on the arm nearest to her so his other hand could cup the back of her head, moving his lips against hers perfectly. Beth forced herself to stay quiet, not even letting a moan or a sigh escape, though there was nothing she could do to control her breathing, which had suddenly become much heavier than just a moment ago.

All too soon, Daryl pulled back, much to her dismay. "Sorry. 'Sposed to just be talkin'. I really oughta head out so you can get some sleep." He stood up and took a few steps toward the door.

Beth held back the whine that was fighting to escape, "Just a little longer?" Her request stopped him in his tracks.

"Alright. Still, you oughta be getting ready for bed before you fall asleep in your uniform," he admonished her.

A wicked thought crossed Beth's mind, and her exhaustion prevented her from stopping it from coming to fruition. "You're right. I should get ready for bed." Without any further thought, she gingerly stood up and turned away from him, facing her bed, and brought her hands to the fat red buttons of her uniform and began pushing them through the buttonholes. She started to lower her uniform to the floor.

"Beth, what the hell you think you're doing?!" Daryl hissed.

She peeked over her shoulder and grinned, "Just what you said. I'm not going to sleep in my uniform, so I'm getting ready for bed."

Daryl muttered something unintelligible as she let the fabric pool in a heap at her feet. Beth, now just clad in her panties and bra, walked around her room in front of him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Internally, however, she was a nervous wreck, knowing that she was playing with fire. There was a tiny part of her that could feel his unwavering gaze on her and was doing backflips because of it. With her back still to him, she reached behind herself and unclasped her bra and let it drop to the floor in what she hoped might be a seductive move. She reached into her overnight bag and pulled out her sleep shorts and tank top, dressing for bed, then took out her brush, undid her ponytail, and began trying to tame her long golden locks.

She almost cried out in surprise when she felt Daryl's hands on her hips, pulling her close to him, but caught herself and just continued brushing out her hair. She felt his lips press kisses along her shoulder, then up her neck, nipping at her ear lobe as his hands moved over her front, enveloping her with his strength. Beth let her head fall back against his shoulder, giving him free reign to touch and kiss her anywhere he wanted, letting his strong arms and chest support her.

Daryl reached under her shirt, letting his hand ghost over the skin of her tummy then up her torso until he was just skimming the swell of her breasts. He sealed his lips over hers as she let out a gasp as he took the weight of her breast in his palm, massaging tenderly, teasing her nipple to a stiff peak. His other arm tightened around her, pulling her ever closer, and she could feel his arousal pressing against her backside. It was a heady experience, made even more so when his hand that had been wrapped around her waist moved to the juncture of her thighs, teasing her womanhood through the fabric of her shorts and panties with delicious pressure. She threaded her fingers through his hair, anchoring him to her, letting him swallow every moan and sigh as he worked her into a frenzy, grinding her pelvis against his hand.

Then, without a word, he released her, and Beth had to bite back a groan of frustration. She turned to look at him with seeking eyes, wondering why in the hell he had stopped, and found him standing there with a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, buttercup. I won't dare go much further than that tonight. Not with your mama and daddy right below us."

'Are you kidding me with this right now?' Beth internally screamed at him. She knew he was right, that they shouldn't do any more than what they already had, but she was so keyed up that she was almost willing to risk it. "Daryl Dixon, that's just mean."

He chuckled as he stepped closer to her and wound his arms around her again. She could feel his hardness pressing into her bellybutton. "Trust me. You ain't the only one that's hurtin' for more here. I'll make it up to you next time we get the chance, alright?" He kissed her sweetly, not trying to stoke the fire that was already roiling between them, just bringing closure to what they had just done. Their lips moved together, the tips of their tongues just barely meeting, and Beth melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, never wanting to let go. With great effort, Daryl pulled back, breaking the kiss, and pressed one last one on her forehead before releasing her. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay? Around one?"

Beth nodded, then asked, "The bike or the truck?" She needed to plan accordingly for whatever she decided to bring to share for the cookout tomorrow.

"Probably the bike, unless it rains. Can't have my baby getting wet...well, not from the rain," he added with a wicked grin.

She smacked him playfully on the arm, "See? You're just being mean." She tried to pout, but her lips kept curling into a smile.

Daryl raised his eyebrow at her, "Oh, but walking around in nothing but yer underwear isn't mean?"

Beth narrowed her eyes at him, "Touché." She sighed softly, "I'll walk you to the porch," and reached out for his hand to lead him back through the house as quietly as they could. Once they had reached outside, Daryl took the first step leading to the driveway then turned around. Because of their difference in height, they were now looking at each other eye to eye.

His hands came up to frame her waist. "G'night, buttercup. I'll see you tomorrow," he murmured.

"One o'clock," Beth confirmed. "Thank you for giving me a ride home." Daryl smirked and had that expression like he was holding something back again, but Beth ignored it and leaned in to kiss him goodnight. "I love you," she whispered against his lips.

"Love you, too," he returned before pulling her close to him, cupping the back of her head, and claiming her mouth with his tongue.

Beth met his movements every step of the way. Instead of winding her arms around his neck as she so often did, her hands came to rest on his chest, then trailed down over his torso, meeting at his belt buckle. She almost fell forward when Daryl pulled away from her unexpectedly. "Now who's being mean?" he challenged and she only giggled in response.

"Alright. Goodnight, Daryl."

"G'night, buttercup," he said, then swiftly kissed her one last time and took off down the steps and to the truck.

Beth stayed on the porch until the taillights were no longer in sight before heading back inside and up to her room. She laid awake for what seemed like hours, still feeling Daryl's hands all over her body, her lips still slightly bruised and throbbing. If she were honest, she was actually throbbing in several places, all of which she tried to ignore. She wondered just how long they were going to skate on this line of teasing and tempting each other, not sure if she could last much longer without spontaneously combusting. Sleep eventually found her, bringing vivid dreams that did nothing to ease the tension that seemed to fill her mind and body now that Daryl had become such a big part of her life.

**I'm so sorry this took so long. I kept getting messages from my readers asking for an update, which just added, shall we say, pressure to perform. I want this to be perfect for all of you, I really do. On top of that, I got more hours at one of my jobs, plus got called in for jury duty, so there went three days of little to no progress on the story aside from what I could jot down in my notebook on my lunch breaks. I can't apologize enough, and I thank each and every one of you for your patience.**

**I know I said she'd be meeting Jeremy in this chapter, but I'm already pushing 7,000 words. If I kept going to include their meeting, I wouldn't be able to post the chapter for...I don't know how long. I promise you that I'll be working on updating this chapter first before returning to Summer of Learning. (As a side note, Second Chance is on its way, too, but the hubs has rehearsal for his next show three days a week.)**

**Speaking of the hubs, if you want other things to read while you're waiting for an update, you can always check out the two stories I mentioned above, and my husband is working on his own story – Eye of the Beholder by Remi Savant. It's like a pulp noir detective story featuring our favorite redneck. I think it's great, and sincerely hope some of you go and read and review it. It would do his ego some good. Keep in mind, he asks me for story advice, and I've already convinced him that Beth needs to be Daryl's secretary...so now I'm just waiting to read the scene where Rick walks into Daryl's office to find them making out on the desk. It's not a Bethyl story, but it has strong Bethyl tendencies. **

**Anyway, enough from me. Thank you thank you thank you for all of your support and patience. I certainly hope it was worth the wait!**


	14. Meeting

**Lady in Red – Chapter 14 – Meeting**

**Special thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, UltimateBethylFicList, SirensCalling, kevkye, MamaDCB, cemmia, An Amber Pen, pamela856, Carowen, SaraiVe, foreverwishing, SilentFlame13 and Shattered Dragon for leaving your wonderful comments!**

**Warning: discusses suicidal thoughts and a suicide attempt.**

Beth woke up to the smell of bacon and coffee. She followed the aroma to the kitchen, where she found her father reading the Sunday paper and her mother babysitting a boiling pot of oatmeal.

"Morning, Daddy," she greeted him and kissed the top of his head. "Morning, Mama," she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee and doctored it up with plenty of cream and sugar.

"Morning, Bethy," her father smiled over the top of his paper. "Sleep well?"

Beth took a long sip from her mug, hoping to hide her blush as images from the past night's dreams flitted through her mind. "Yes. I slept just fine," she finally responded, hiding her grin with another sip.

Annette served the three of them heaping bowls of oatmeal and brought the plate of crispy bacon to the table. As they ate, they talked about the past week and what was in store for the days coming up. Hershel and Annette both had mixed emotions about Beth's new job. They were happy for her, of course, but were concerned about her not being able to come home as often as she had been.

"We already only see you on the weekends, and even then it's in between your hours at work and your spending time with Daryl," Annette complained.

Beth grumbled around a mouthful of bacon. "And I'm sure Maggie calls twice a day, and visits every weekend. I must have just missed her."

"Watch your tone, young lady," her father warned. "Your mother and I are just worried about you being off and on your own so far away from home."

Beth fought the urge to roll her eyes. Instead she just turned the best smile she could muster to her parents. "I'll be fine, and this new job will help make sure of that. Besides, I'm only an hour away. It's not like I'm on the other side of the country." With that Beth finished her breakfast and began rummaging through the kitchen cabinets, looking for an idea as to what to bring for the cook out that afternoon.

After a moment, Annette had come up beside her, placing the used dishes in the sink to be washed later. "Looking for something?"

"Just looking to see if we had a brownie mix or something. Daryl invited me over for a cookout today and I don't want to show up empty-handed," Beth explained. She looked over in time to see her mothers' lips tighten into a straight line. "What, mama?" she asked in a defeated voice.

"Well you were gone all day yesterday..."

"I was at work!" Beth interrupted, but immediately cast her eyes downward, knowing that her speaking out of turn was considered unacceptable behavior.

Annette raised an eyebrow before continuing, "I'm just saying it would be nice to see you more often. And I think it's pretty presumptuous for you to assume you can just use what we have without even asking."

"Mama, I was going to replace whatever I used. And I don't have to work tomorrow, so I'll get to stay here and be with you then," Beth tried appeasing her. "I'm sorry I've been busy, that I can't be here as often as you'd like. I'm doing the best I can, and I appreciate everything you and Daddy have done for me." She wanted to add that she was about to graduate college and would be looking for a teaching job that may or may not keep her in the immediate vicinity. On top of that, her relationship with Daryl looked very promising. She didn't want to count any chickens before they hatched, but what she had with Daryl felt good, felt right, like they were both in it for the long haul. However, she had been raised to apologize without excuses, that if she said, "I'm sorry, but..." then she didn't really mean it. She did feel bad for inadvertently shutting her parents out, even if there wasn't much she could do to change the situation.

She took a calming breath before speaking again. "Mama, would it be alright if I made some brownies to take to a cook out today if I pick some more up on my way home. Then we can make a pan, just you and me?"

"That would be fine, Bethy," Hershel piped up. Both women looked at him, almost surprised to be reminded of his presence. "Annette, I think you can use today to remember our youngest isn't a little girl anymore. She's a grown woman with a life of her own." Beth could feel the fury radiating off her mother and was a little glad that the heat had been taken off of her, at least for the moment.

"Besides," Hershel continued, "It's not like this is the end of the world. We can spare the ingredients and get another box of mix. Now come on," he said as he folded his newspaper and stood up from the table. "It's time to head out for church."

Beth was grateful for her father sitting in the middle of them in their pew. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle literally feeling the tension coming from her mother.

As soon as the service let out, Beth tried her best to corral her parents to the parking lot – not an easy task considering their status within the church. Her mother was on several church committees, while her father was well known in the community at large due to his career as a lifelong town vet.

Of course, because Beth wanted to get back to bake the brownies, everyone and their dog seemed to want to talk to the Greenes that morning. There were even a few friends of the family who had stopped to talk to her, and she knew better than to brush them off or pretend that she hadn't heard them.

They finally returned to the farm house, where Beth promptly changed out of her church clothes and into something more appropriate for a cook out. She hustled downstairs to get to work on her batch of brownies, deciding to add chocolate chips to the batter, because who doesn't like extra chocolate? As she combined all the ingredients, she couldn't help but smile. She was nervous, especially about meeting Jeremy, but felt excited, too. A wandering melody found its way through her lips as she bustled about the kitchen.

"I'm not sure I've seen you this happy in a long, long time."

Her mother's voice startled her, but she was relieved to hear there was no lingering anger there. Beth simply nodded in agreement to the observation.

Annette took the seat at the table closest to where Beth was working. "I'm sorry for being upset with you earlier. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up over brownies. Your father is right – we can always get more, it's not the end of the world." Beth smiled, not knowing really what to say. "You really like him, don't you?"

Beth's smile broadened and a soft blush crept across her cheeks. "I really do, mama. He makes me really happy."

"I'm glad, sweetheart," she said softly as she watched Beth pour the batter into the pan and slide it into the oven. Once she set the timer, Beth joined her mother at the table. "We were worried about you for a while."

Any color that had been on her cheeks vanished. "Why would you be worried?" she asked nervously, already knowing full well where this conversation was headed.

"Well, the last time you had a serious boyfriend was when..." she trailed off, then swallowed and began again, "...when we lost Sean." Annette reached out and took her daughter's hand. "We all missed him, and still do, but I don't think anyone took it as hard as you did."

Her mother hadn't out right said anything, hadn't drawn attention to the constant reminder of just how low Beth had gotten, but she swore she felt it throb, there on the inside of her wrist. It wasn't just losing her brother, thought that in itself certainly would have been enough to send her into a tailspin of depression. It reminded her of how she had lost herself along the way.

Beth would never forget the day the two uniformed men, with their navy blue uniforms and white hats, had come to their home to deliver the horrendous news that while her brother had saved a number of lives from a bomb in Afghanistan, he'd ended up losing his own. According to the letter her parents had received, he was to be awarded a Purple Heart and would be given a funeral with high honors.

All of that meant nothing to Beth. Her brother was gone. Never again would she hear any of his ridiculous puns or feel his strong arms lift her up into a spinning hug. She pulled away from everything she had been involved in, even the church choir. She needed time to mourn, to grieve, to cope. She needed all those closest to her to lean on, and couldn't handle anyone depending on her because she knew she couldn't give her all to anything but to the memory of Sean.

Among those she was depending heavily on was Jimmy, her first boyfriend. He was sweet and he tried very hard to do what he could to help Beth through those dark days, but she couldn't give much back. She withdrew from his touches, declined any offers he'd made to go out, to take her mind off her sadness. He just didn't, couldn't, wouldn't understand what Beth felt – that somehow, if she were to go and do these 'fun' things, it diminished Sean's memory. How could he expect her to go on living when her brother had been robbed of his life by some madman on the other side of the world?

Eventually, Jimmy stopped trying, then stopped coming over at all. Soon he stopped calling and texting her, as did all the rest of her friends. Looking back, she couldn't blame them – she wouldn't want to be around someone that melancholic, either.

The problem was, when they all left her behind to move on with life, she needed them most of all. She didn't want to move on; all she wanted was her brother back. All Beth felt was a pain that radiated from her heart throughout her body until she felt nothing, just a foggy numbness that consumed her. She'd stopped eating, even stopped bathing; she made no attempts to connect with anyone anymore.

One day she decided she didn't want to feel even that anesthetizing apathy anymore. She wanted out, and could only think of one way to do it that would prevent anyone from stopping her. She took Sean's pocket knife, the one she had given him when he was deployed for the first time, one of the only personal effects of his that had survived the blast. Beth locked herself in her bathroom, and stared herself down in the mirror.

She hardly recognized herself anymore. Her once shiny golden hair was now dull, lifeless and matted. Her blue eyes had dimmed and had sunken into her cheeks, which were now sallow and pale. Beth had started crying before she'd even opened the knife. She had just exposed the blade when she heard a soft knock on the door. Maggie had spoken through the wood, though Beth had yet to respond. She steeled herself, letting the point pierce her flesh; the first dot of red pooled on her skin. Maggie began knocking more insistently, and Beth knew she didn't have much time before her sister forced the lock and came in to stop her. With a final gulp of air, she pulled the blade against her wrist.

The next thing she remembered was waking up in a hospital bed, an IV in one arm, a bandage around the other. She was surprised she wasn't restrained – wasn't that what they always did in movies to people who tried to kill themselves? Once her eyes came into focus, she saw her parents at her bedside, her mother with her head down, resting near her elbow, her father near her knees lost in prayer.

The following days were a blur for her. The family practitioner recommended she get psychiatric help, and Beth went along with the plan whole-heartedly. She kept remembering the shell of herself she had seen in the mirror and promised she would never let herself get that low again – if anything else, Sean wouldn't want her to give up like she had. As her wound healed, so did her mind, so quickly, in fact, that her parents and doctors weren't sure to trust her. She was put on a type of probation, to be observed at home and at school until her psychiatrist and parents were convinced that she wasn't just going through the motions but had made a full recovery.

Finally, after a number of weeks of supervision, Beth was given the all clear by her counselor, although her parents were still wary of their youngest daughter. It was to ease her parents' minds that she had chosen to go to a college close enough to home that she could live at home.

Beth was brought back from her reverie when her mother spoke again. "I just want to make sure you'll be alright. It worries me that we hardly hear from you, even when you're home."

"I'm fine now, mama. I mean it," she said softly and turned her hand to hold her mother's.

"Does he know?"

Beth looked down at the simple silver bracelet that sparkled on her scarred wrist. It was a gift from her brother on her sixteenth birthday – her last gift from him. She wore it every day on that wrist, as a reminder to herself just how far she'd come from her grief. Hidden beneath it was her other constant reminder, a pink-silver scar, that showed how strong she truly was. "No. Not yet."

Annette looked at her with a compassionate expression. "He deserves to know, Bethy."

She nodded, "I know, mama, and I will tell him. It's just...hard to just bring up, you know?" Beth thought back to how hard it was for Daryl to reveal his scars to her, and how much it had meant to their relationship. His scars weren't self-inflicted, though, and that made a big difference. She shook the impending feeling of dread and brought herself back to the conversation. "I know he deserves it. He deserves so much more than what life has thrown at him." She let out her breath in a puff, then breathed in deeply, trying to keep herself from getting worked up. "And I don't just like him, mama." Beth looked up from under her eyelashes to meet her mother's gaze. "I love him."

They sat together for a quiet moment, hand in hand, before Annette broke out into a warm smile. "I think I saw that coming, honey."

Beth wasn't sure she wanted to push the issue, considering their previous topic of conversation, but asked anyway, "And you're...how do you feel about that?"

"Oh, Bethy," she began and patted the back of her hand. "Of course I'm happy for you. I can't say I'm really surprised, though. I had the two of you pegged at Maggie's wedding."

The room seemed to become unusually warm, and not just from the oven baking the brownies. Beth's face flushed and she let out a little gasp, "You did?!"

Annette chuckled, "It was hard not to notice you two. I kind of suspected something was going on when you went out for your little midnight stroll." She laughed again as Beth's eyes grew wider with surprise and went on to say, "And I'll tell you, I'm pretty sure he's head over heels for you, too." She raised her eyebrow knowingly and gave her daughter a mischievous smirk.

Beth grinned, already knowing Daryl loved her. She had always thought they'd kept their actions and reactions very muted when they were around others, but apparently he was a little less subtle than she'd imagined if Merle and her own mother had both noticed. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Oh, just little things I've noticed. The fact that he's been trying his best to impress us, acting very gentlemanly, especially considering his background." Beth flinched a little at the end of her mother's comment, but Annette seemed to not notice. "The amount of effort he puts into everything," she said, almost casually. "And don't think I didn't notice that your car was missing from the driveway this morning. I'm assuming he gave you a ride home last night?" she asked while looking Beth out of the corner of her eye.

Beth's eyes widened as she realized she hadn't explained that to her parents this morning. She fought to keep her heartrate where it was; apparently her mother was very perceptive, so she wondered just what else her mother had put together on her own. "Oh, mama, I forgot to tell you. Dottie asked if I would stay late because we were so swamped, and I was SO tired at the end of everything and just couldn't hardly move, and I really only called him just to talk to keep me awake but he came and got me and he's picking me up soon and..."

"Bethy, Bethy...it's alright," Annette said soothingly. "I trust you to make good decisions, and it looks like I can certainly trust him to be good to you." She let out a soft sigh, "When did you grow up? All of a sudden, you're a grown woman, living on her own. You can take care of yourself, and you've got a good man who loves you."

The two women leaned across the corner of the table in an embrace; Beth felt one of her mother's tears soak into the sleeve of her t-shirt just as one rolled down her own cheek. "I love you, mama."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

Beth grinned when she finally heard the roar of Daryl's motorcycle coming down the driveway. She knew they'd be riding the bike today – there was hardly a cloud in the sky, which couldn't have been a prettier shade of blue. She grabbed her backpack, containing her swimsuit, a towel, a platter for the brownies, which she had cut and stored in a Ziploc bag, and called out her goodbye over her shoulder before pushing her way through the screen door and bounding down the porch steps.

"Hey, buttercup," he said with a grin as she ran to his side and he slipped an arm around her, pulling her to his side for a quick kiss. "Sleep alright last night?"

She answered with a grin of her own, "Yes, yes I did...lots of good dreams, too," she teased.

"That so? Wanna tell me what they were?"

Feeling especially flirty and bold, she murmured, "Maybe someday I can just...show you."

Daryl growled and narrowed his eyes at her, then leaned over to pull his spare helmet out of the side compartment and handed it to her. "Hop on," he said, his voice more rough than usual. Beth giggled, clipping the helmet below her chin, and climbing onto the bike behind him, immediately wrapping her arms around his torso. When they hit the blacktop of the highway, Daryl covered her hands with his larger one, his thumb and fingertips tracing patterns against the back of her hand.

They stopped at the ice cream shop to retrieve Beth's car; she followed Daryl through the streets of town, ending up in a quiet little neighborhood. When they arrived at Carol and Merle's house, Beth hopped out of her car, shouldering her backpack, and walked up to Daryl, still seated on his bike. She squealed in surprise when he pulled her close to his body, crushing his lips to hers. Her arms draped over his broad shoulders and his hand drifted to rest on her hip as their kiss went on and on. When he finally broke the kiss, her only reaction was a whispered, "Wow."

Daryl chuckled then looked deep into her eyes. "You ready?"

It took Beth a moment to realize he was asking if she was ready to go inside and meet his family, though after the kiss they had just shared, spending time with anyone but Daryl was the furthest thing from her mind. She took a deep, calming breath and nodded.

When they entered the house, Merle was sitting in a worn but comfortable looking recliner, though he certainly wasn't reclining. Beth was greeted by his raspy voice screaming at the television, "Dammit, ump, that was a strike, I could see it from here!" and went on criticizing the baseball game, blaming the Braves for being too dumb to win. Daryl cleared his throat as they stepped further into the room, hand in hand. "Oh, hey, lil bit! You a Braves fan?"

She glanced at Daryl, who discreetly nodded. "Of...course! How bad are they losing today?"

"Two nothin', but it's only the third. They've still got time to really screw it up," then turned his attention fully to Beth and gave her an almost evil grin. "You bring me any ice cream today?"

Beth narrowed her eyes and fought back a smile, but couldn't stop the silent giggle that bubbled up. "No, but I brought some brownies, fresh baked this morning," she said, ignoring Daryl's incredulous look.

Merle laughed loudly, then gestured with his thumb to the rest of the house, "Carol's finishin' up in the kitchen. She'll find a spot for 'em" Daryl tugged gently on her hand and led her through the living room.

"Told ya, ya didn't have ta bring nothin'," Daryl mumbled.

"I know," she replied softly, "but I wanted to."

They entered the kitchen and saw Carol stirring a large bowl of macaroni salad and Sophia arranging the paper plates and napkins next to the plastic cups and silverware. "Hey, Carol," Daryl greeted her as a way of informing her of their presence.

The older woman looked up and gave them both a warm smile. "Hey, Daryl. Beth, welcome."

"Thanks," she smiled in return. "Do you need any help?"

Carol looked around the kitchen, "Umm...nope. Looks like we got it all. The boys grilled everything earlier before it got too hot, so meat's in the crockpot now. We're gonna be real informal, just grab a plate and fill it up, everyone just sit wherever."

Beth slipped off her backpack and pulled out her bag of brownies and the decorative platter she'd brought with her. "I brought these for everyone. Where would you like them?"

Carol clucked her tongue, "Well aren't you sweet? I guess they can go on the stove next to the pie."

Beth followed her directions and returned to Daryl's side. He looked down at her with a grin, letting his eyes wander over her face. Finally he asked, without looking away, "Jeremy in his room?"

"Last I saw," Carol answered, and Sophia nodded in agreement.

Daryl tilted his head in the direction of the hallway, and Beth followed, their hands finding each other once more. He stopped at the first door they came to and leaned against the door frame. "Hey, kiddo. Want ya ta meet someone." Beth came around to stand in the doorway, squeezing Daryl's hand as she did.

She peeked around the corner and saw Jeremy standing in the middle of the room, pointing a plastic gun at a TV screen. "Stupid dog!" he yelled out before lowering the gun and turning to face the door. He took a second to look at her before speaking. "I remember you. You work at the ice cream place."

"Well, I did," Beth corrected. "I'm Beth. It's nice to actually meet you, Jeremy," she continued as she held her hand out to shake his. He looked at her skeptically for a moment before accepting her handshake, then returned to his game. She walked into the room to see what he was playing. "Duck Hunt, huh?" Jeremy just nodded before taking aim at another duck flying across his screen. Beth looked through the box of game cartridges lying on the floor. "I was never very good at that one, but I could totally school you at Mario Brothers."

Jeremy looked over and raised an eyebrow at her. There was no doubt in Beth's mind that this was Daryl's son; they wore the exact same expression – so exact that she giggled at the pair of them. "What? You wanna find out?"

Before either could respond, Carol called out, "Food's ready!"

"C'mon, bud. Pack it up," Daryl said. Beth was impressed when Jeremy didn't balk at all, not even asking to finish the round he was on. They followed him out to the kitchen, Daryl slipping an arm around Beth's waist as they walked down the hallway.

"That went well," Beth mumbled sarcastically.

"Nah," Daryl said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. We did interrupt game time. He'll warm up to ya, promise." He kissed her temple and released her to grab plates for the two of them, handing one to her. They filled their plates and found seats on the porch around the patio table. Even from outside, they could hear Merle still yelling at the ballgame, causing the rest of the party to snicker around their bites of food.

Once everyone had finished eating (and agreeing that they had all taken way too much food), they sat around the table, Carol asking Beth perfunctory questions about herself: where she grew up, where she went to school, how did the two of them meet. "You just look so familiar, but I can't place where from."

"I've been thinking the same thing. Where do you work?"

"I kind of work from home. I'm an event planner. Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries," Carol answered.

It finally clicked in Beth's mind, "Did you do the Rhee wedding this past summer?"

"That's it!" Carol exclaimed. "Maggie's sister, right?"

Beth nodded, a wide smile stretched on her face. "I suppose we wouldn't have crossed paths until the big day, huh? Good to finally figure that out," she said with a laugh.

"Can you really beat Mario?"

All attention turned to Jeremy, who behaved just like his father when all eyes were on him, shrugging in on himself.

Beth smiled warmly at him, "You bet." The doubtful look on his face made Beth giggle. "Don't believe me?" Jeremy shook his head vigorously. "Well, I'll just have to show you my shortcuts sometime." She noticed him perk up at the offer. "Not today, though. That swimming pool looks like way too much fun. I don't think I could stay inside on a day like this." She noticed Jeremy's face sadden a little, and her heart broke for him. "I tell you what, the next time I get a chance, I'll go through the whole game with you, shortcuts and all. Deal?"

"Deal," he said softly. Beth grinned, then looked up at Daryl, seated on her other side, as he placed a warm hand on her knee and squeezed. She smiled and he winked back at her.

"Well," Carol changed the subject, "let's start putting left overs away and cleaning up, then we can start getting ready to get in the pool." Sophia and Jeremy were up and out of their seats in a flash, the adults moving a little more slowly. Beth helped where she could in storing the extra food in Ziploc containers, then grabbed her back pack and pulled out her swim gear and found the bathroom to change.

She wrapped her beach towel around her and made her way to the porch, which had a walkway that led to the edge of the pool. Beth draped her towel over the railing and looked back at the above ground pool, making sure no one was close for when she jumped in. She saw Daryl standing near the opposite side, wearing black trunks and a wife-beater; she realized he was wearing it to hide his scars, even from his own family. What really caught her attention was the look on his face, one of complete astonishment, and she flushed as she realized he was ogling her body, clothed in her bikini. She grinned at him, then hurried down the walkway, blisteringly hot under her feet in the heat of summer's rage, and did a cannonball into the water.

When she resurfaced, she heard Sophia and Jeremy giggling as Merle and Daryl grumbled about getting splashed. She swept her hair out of her face, then paddled her way over to Daryl, bouncing her on her toes where he stood flat footed on the floor of the pool. "What's the point of getting in the pool if you aren't gonna get wet?" she asked, ignoring Merle's snort of laughter. She met Daryl's gaze and asked, softer this time, "You can swim, can't you?"

"Hell yes, I can swim!" he protested.

Merle crowed, "Darylina just don't wanna get his hair wet is all."

Daryl scowled at his brother and slapped at the surface of the pool, sending a spray of water directed at him, earning another round of laughter from the two kids.

"You wanna race?" Jeremy asked Sophia, then looked over at Beth and Daryl.

Beth grinned, "Bring it on!" The younger two swam over to where she was bobbing in the water, and looked expectantly at Daryl, who rolled his eyes and took his place in the lineup. "To the ladder and back?" she suggested, and everyone nodded.

"On your mark," Carol called out from her seat on the deck, "Get set...GO!"

Where Daryl excelled in strength, Beth more than made up for in agility, and the two were neck and neck, a whole body length ahead of the two children. When they were halfway through the return lap, Beth's fingers caught on the waistband of his trunks and tugged downward, causing his strong stroke to falter. When she reached the side of the pool, effectively winning the race, Daryl was still standing near the center of the pool, glowering at her as he walked the rest of the way. Beth could do little else but giggle nervously.

"You did that on purpose," he accused her in a falsely bitter voice.

Her laughter, she was sure, made it hard for him to believe her, "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

Daryl's eyebrows shot straight up and his eyes were more open than Beth could ever remember seeing. "Oh, I'll show you what I'm talking about," he mumbled and suddenly scooped her against his chest and into his arms and let his legs out from under him, causing them both to be submerged, with Beth floating just above Daryl. While one arm held her fast against him, the other trailed lower, letting his hand cup her ass.

Beth's legs naturally wrapped around his waist while Daryl's other hand slid up her back to behind her head, pulling them together for an underwater kiss. It didn't last long, both of them struggling for breath and fighting laughing anyway. When he planted his feet on the bottom of the pool, Beth was still wrapped around him, arms and legs; both were gasping for air in between laughing.

"Aw, get a room, you two," Merle chastised them, making some comment about children being present.

"Speaking of," Beth said softly as she wiped the water streaming down from her hair, "I didn't get to see your room."

Daryl growled in her ear, "Maybe later...if you're lucky," and stole another kiss. They smiled together when they heard groans from Jeremy and Sophia...and Merle. They reluctantly released each other. Carol finally joined them in the pool, and Sophia decided it was time to play Marco Polo.

"Not it!" Sophia and Jeremy exclaimed at the same time, touching their fingers to their noses. Beth immediately followed suit, then Carol; Merle beat Daryl to the punch by a split second.

"Fine," he grumbled, and took a deep breath and dunked himself underwater as the rest of them scattered around the pool. A slow ten-count later, he came back to the surface, wiping his face but keeping his eyes scrunched shut. "Marco."

"Polo!" everyone responded. Somehow, he honed in on Beth's voice and started moving toward her.

"Marco."

"Polo!"

Beth fought back her giggles and moved as quickly and silently as she could toward Jeremy, trying to escape from Daryl as he stalked her voice like a predator, a true hunter. Jeremy cast her a playfully mean look and splashed around, immediately drawing Daryl's attention.

"Marco." Beth put Jeremy between his father and herself

"Polo," both Jeremy and Beth said softly, but even their lowered volume didn't throw Daryl off course.

He closed in, basically cornering the two of them. "Marco."

"Pol-ow!" Beth exclaimed when Jeremy used her thighs as a kickoff point, swimming away from her quickly. Daryl's head snapped to face her. She was trapped and her nervous giggle couldn't be contained any longer.

Without another word, Daryl lunged at her, his arms encompassing her, and lifted and dunked her back into the water, bringing her close to press another kiss to her lips. They stayed under even longer this time, until their natural buoyancy forced them to resurface.

Later, everyone had changed back into dry clothes, Jeremy and Sophia both having showered the chlorine off themselves and started getting ready for bed. Beth leaned on the door frame while Daryl tucked Jeremy in for the night.

"G'night kiddo," he said before kissing his son's forehead, earning a groan of disgust from the boy.

"G'night, dad," he responded, then sat up a little in bed. "G'night, Beth. I'm sorry if I hurt you," he added.

Beth frowned a little in her confusion, "Hurt me? When did you hurt me?"

"During Marco Polo," he said, his chin sinking to his chest. "I just didn't wanna get caught. Dad always catches me."

Beth had to think back, "Oh. Oh, Jeremy, that was nothing. You're forgiven."

The little boy's face perked up, "Really? So you'll still teach me how to beat Mario?"

"Of course," Beth said with a soft laugh. "Now get some sleep, okay?" Jeremy nodded and snuggled himself under the sheets of his bed, apparently deciding it was too warm for a blanket. Daryl crossed the room to join Beth at the doorway and turned out the light.

"Jeremy's a great kid," Beth mentioned as they walked down the hallway together.

"Thanks," Daryl shrugged then took her hand in his. "I kinda think so, too," he said with a grin.

"He's quiet. Can't imagine where he gets it from," she teased. Daryl gave her a sidelong glance as he led them through the kitchen, but headed in the opposite direction of the living room.

"Where are we going?" she wondered out loud.

Daryl pulled a door open, which Beth had thought was a closet but ended up leading to the basement steps. "Said you wanted to see my room." He ushered her down the steps, closing the door behind him. When she hit the carpeted floor at the bottom, she paused, waiting for him to turn on a light.

When the fluorescent lights flickered on, she took in the place Daryl had been calling home for the past several months. The basement had clearly been used for mostly storage before Daryl's moving in, evidenced by the stacks of boxes and plastic bins along the far end of the room. Tucked into the nearest corner was a full-sized bed, dressed with a comforter set much too flowery to have belonged to Daryl, so Beth assumed the bed and bed clothes were actually loaned to him from Carol. A dresser, a night stand, and an old looking couch made up the rest of his makeshift apartment. Resting on top of the dresser was a crossbow and a handful of bolts.

"Home, sweet home," Daryl mumbled as he stepped into the space toward the couch. Beth followed him and sat next to him, curling up to his side when his arm draped along the back of the couch. His fingers curled around her shoulder and began tracing indiscriminate patterns over her skin.

"It's...nice," Beth tried, looking around the space again.

Daryl scoffed, "It's shit, but it's what I got, at least for now." He took in Beth's admonishing look, "Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for havin' a place to stay, but we need to get outta here. Been savin' up for a deposit on an apartment, but it don't mean nothin' unless I find someone who'll take my bad credit." He picked at a loose thread on the arm of the sofa. "Jeremy deserves better than this. At least Merle an' Carol, they had the extra room upstairs for 'im. Figured he doesn't need to be livin' down in a basement."

"It's not...shit, Daryl," Beth countered. "Something will turn up, I'm sure of it. Wouldn't kill you to have a little faith." Daryl responded with a "pfft," so Beth pressed on. "I mean it. You're too good a man to be...to be in this situation for long." He looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Look at it this way," she started, repositioning herself to face him fully. "You're in a nice house, a roof over your head, a place for both of you to sleep. You've got a good job at the garage. You've got Carol and Merle who love you and have your back. You've got...me." She dragged her fingers through his still damp hair. "You've got me for a long, long time. I love you, Daryl."

Daryl brought his hand to trace over the apple of her cheek. "Can't figure out why you do...don't think I'll ever understand it, either."

"Guess you're just gonna have to trust me," she said with a grin before leaning in and planting a kiss against his lips. Without breaking contact, she leaned over and ended up straddling his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck.

They moved together, both seeming to know when the other needed to move without needing to speak. Their kiss went on and on, their tongues dancing against each other. Daryl's hands skimmed up and down her sides, eventually working their way under her shirt. When his thumbs traced the curve under her breasts, she moaned into his mouth and threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging gently. He teased her nipple through the soft fabric of her bra, eliciting another moan from her, before moving his hands back down to her hips, applying just the slightest pressure there.

Following his silent instructions, Beth brought her pelvis closer to his, gasping audibly when she felt his hardness beneath her. She went to pull back, but his hand cupped the back of her head, keeping her close, kissing her deeply as his other hand pulled her hips closer to him again and again. They fell into a delicious rhythm, taking turns moaning and sighing as their bodies danced along the line of teasing and promise.

The friction between them was creating swirls of something Beth had never felt before. She could feel herself getting hot, and felt a wetness between her legs that she knew had nothing to do with swimming earlier. The more she rocked against him, the more she wanted...more. She could feel her growing frustration as her jeans kept her from feeling any real contact, leaving her bereft of any semblance of release.

"Beth," Daryl ground out, "baby...if we don't stop soon, I may not be able to."

She pulled back and looked down at him, pitying him for the almost pained expression on his face. She realized that as unsatisfied as she felt, he must be feeling it even more so. "I'm sorry, Daryl," she whispered her apology as she climbed off his lap. "Do you, um...do you want me to..."

"S'alright," he whispered, trying to catch his breath and readjusting his pants to make room for his hardened member. He inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly, just shy of a low whistle, then let out a soft chuckle. "You're gonna be the death of me, girl."

"Well, I certainly hope not," she said, her voice a mixture of levity and actual concern. "Are you sure you'll...be okay?"

Daryl fixed her with a heated look, then nodded, a slight smirk curling the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't you worry 'bout me, buttercup." She gave him a skeptical look, but didn't press the issue. "It's getting late. Should probably get you going."

Beth nodded solemnly, knowing he was absolutely right, but not wanting to admit it out loud. "It won't hurt anything if I stay just a little longer, will it? I mean, I won't get to see you for a whole week, so I want to make sure I get as much time with you as I can," she said, trying her hardest not to whine.

"I guess it won't hurt," Daryl said. "C'mere," he offered his arm, making room for her to cuddle up against his shoulder. They just held each other, neither speaking, neither needing to. Beth could hear Daryl's heart pounding beneath her cheek, lulling her to sleep with its steady rhythm. The last thing she remembered was his whispered, "I love you."

**Thanks for reading – please leave a review!**

**Thanks for reading – please leave a review!**

**Thanks for reading – please leave a review!**


	15. Waking

**I am scum. I am horrible. I feel awful for making everyone wait so long. I've had a lot of job-related stuff come up, and some exciting personal news to boot, but that came with its own set of minor complications. Anyway, I've really been trying to work on this chapter for you wonderful people, because despite my recent lack of activity here, I really do love each and every one of you. As on tumblr, I adopt all my followers as my babies, and I hate to see my babies upset.**

**Thanks to pamela856, DarylDixon'sLover, jaimek45, UltimateBethylFicList, HNGrogan18, Kshawbee, megs27, sourpatchkid26, Winged Pages, foreverwishing, cemmia, MamaDCB, Remi Savant, little miss michelle, caseydoll5, SR, kevkye, Carowen, SilentFlame13, Smidget, soniabell, Malachite16819, and my Guests for your wonderful reviews. They give me life, even if it does take me a month of Sundays to respond to them. Again...I am scum.**

When Beth woke, she didn't know where or when she was. She knew she was warm, covered in a soft comforter, with something not exactly soft curled behind her. She moved to push herself upright, trying to get her bearings, but there was something wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. She swore her eyes were open, but blackness still surrounded her.

The strong thing around her waist tightened, dragging her back to the not exactly soft thing. Her lips curled into a smile when she felt a pair of lips kiss the spot where her neck and shoulder met. "Hey, you," his low voice rumbled through her chest and sent a chill down her spine.

"Hey yourself." She went to turn herself over to face him, but was stopped by Daryl's arm holding her in place as he continued leaving a trail of kisses along her neck and shoulder. She smiled into the darkness "What time is it?" she asked, not wanting to break the mood, but still needing to know.

"Late," he murmured against her skin, "Or early, depending."

Beth knew she should head home. Who knew if her parents were waiting up for her? Still, she had neither the energy nor the willpower to pull away from Daryl. She thought for a moment and asked, "How exactly did we end up over here? Last I remember we were on the couch."

Daryl pushed himself up on one elbow and Beth could feel, but not see, him looking down at her. "I carried you over. Ya didn't even flinch. Figured this'd be more comfortable than the couch. Didn't think you'd mind."

She pushed hard this time to roll herself over and wrapped her arms around him, one under his arm and another around his neck, letting her fingers play through his hair. "Not one bit," she whispered as she pulled him down for a kiss. Her lips immediately parted as they came together. Her senses were reeling as their kiss came to life. His tongue sought hers, and though he wasn't directly on top of her, she felt his weight pressing her into the mattress as his arms came around her. Her hands trailed to his back, realizing she felt bare skin beneath her fingertips. She smiled into their kiss when she realized he was shirtless in bed with her and knowing what a huge step that symbolized. He hadn't even gone shirtless when they were swimming earlier, and he was surrounded by family. The fact that he trusted her to bare his back to her spoke volumes.

She made a conscious effort not to pay too much attention to the raised flesh beneath her fingers, but his back was so littered with scars, she couldn't avoid them. He never flinched, never pulled back, never even tensed up under her touch, and her heart soared at that revelation. She sighed into the kiss and pressed herself closer to him.

His hand came up to cup her face, his thumb tracing over the apple of her cheek. The whole situation seemed very surreal to Beth, being covered by an invisible weight, feeling his touches and kisses coming out of nowhere. He moved his lips up and down her neck as his fingertips trailed over her body, down her side, until they found the hem of her shirt, when they promptly tunneled their way under and moved back up her chest. She was already panting softly when his hand found her breast, squeezing her gently over the cup of her bra. A soft moan escaped her lips, but was quickly silenced by his mouth claiming hers.

"Shh," he whispered between kisses. "We gotta keep quiet. Don't want to wake anyone up." He kissed her again and continued playing with her soft peaks, teasing her nipples between his thumb and forefinger until they pebbled up above her skin. She pushed herself off the mattress just enough to reach behind her back and unclasp her bra. She wanted, no, she needed to feel his hands on her.

The next thing she knew, her shirt, and bra along with it, was being pushed up her body, gathering under her chin. She bit her bottom lip and held back a yelp when she felt Daryl's lips kissing her stomach, his stubble scratching and tickling her sensitive skin, before finally wrapping themselves around her nipple. She fought to stay silent, gasping and whimpering with each move he made. She could feel her heart beating, her blood pulsing at the base of her throat, the tips of her fingers, the peaks of her nipples, and the almost aching place between her legs. She tried bucking her hips upward, seeking comfort, seeking release, but finding none. "Daryl," she whispered, "please."

Beth felt him smile against her before he took her nipple further into his mouth, sucking even harder on it, lightly catching it between his teeth. She held her breath to keep herself from crying out, knowing that if she made too much noise, he would stop...and she never wanted this delicious torture to end, never wanted to give him a reason to pull away.

His hand left her breast and tickled down her ribcage, teasing along her side, over her hip and down her thigh, to her knee, before tracing along her inner thigh and pausing just before reaching the hem of her shorts. He pressed his lips to hers again, his tongue seeking hers, as his fingers skated over her, _there_, rubbing up and down over the fabric of her shorts and panties. His mouth swallowed her soft cry as he pressed firmly against her with his two middle fingers, letting his pointer and pinkie graze along her inner thighs, creating a wonderful friction that was just shy of what she apparently needed more than anything.

She could feel the warmth from his hand, even through the two layers of fabric. His fingers pressed more insistently against her and Beth was helpless to stop her body from curling up to meet him, seeking continual contact. Her legs parted slightly on their own volition, silently begging for more.

Her eyes snapped open when his hand suddenly disappeared, searching the darkness for what had given him a reason to stop. His fingertips danced along her waist now, toying along the top of her shorts before he laid his hand flat on her belly and inched his way down to return where he had just abandoned. Beth bucked her hips upward, urging his fingers to find her faster; she could've sworn she heard him chuckle at her, but didn't have the wherewithal to reply even if he really had.

Finally she felt the pads of his fingers brush against her again, incrementally closer this time, and she realized the only thing keeping him from touching her was the increasingly damp fabric of her panties. Somewhere in a corner of her mind, she said a prayer of thanks that he was still going so very slow with her, making sure she was ready for each new step, all the while pushing her further than she'd ever gone before. Everything felt like it was just happening naturally between them. She never felt an ounce of pressure from him, never felt like he ever expected anything from her. It seemed he just wanted to make her feel good, and was doing a damn fine job of it.

Beth's hands fluttered at her sides, grasping for something, anything, to ground her into this moment, to relieve at least an iota of the tension building inside her. Her hand eventually gathered enough extra material of the fitted sheet beneath her fingers and gripped it as if she were holding onto it for dear life. Her other hand, caught between their bodies, brushed against a different type of fabric – what she realized was the sweats Daryl had apparently changed into before getting into bed with her. However, it was what she felt beneath that fabric that made her gasp.

She felt...him.

Even through the thick material of his sleep pants, she could tell how very hard he was as she brushed the backs of her fingers against the same spot. She moved again, timidly, and heard his deep groan resonate in her ear.

She suddenly couldn't stop herself, not that she really wanted to, anyway. She let her fingers trail over the outline of him through his pants. Sure, she had felt him before, pressed up against her leg when they were making out before, but she'd never _felt_ him, not like this. He was...big...not that she had much to compare him to. Beth turned her hand and let her fingers curl around him, earning another groan from the man next to her. She squeezed, just slightly, and felt him thrust his hips, shoving himself further along her hand as he began to press his own fingers harder onto her.

Her legs parted even further, spreading herself for him, allowing his fingers to sink between her lower lips even with her panties still as a barrier between them. The drag of the moist cotton against her most sensitive parts felt good, and she could only imagine what his bare fingers would feel like there. She was just about to suggest that the panties needed to go when he pulled his fingers upward and pressed firmly against her clit...and her mind went blank. She fought hard to keep any noise from coming out, holding her breath as the sensations coursing through her filled her with more want and desire than she'd ever felt before.

"Daryl," she whispered shakily as she rocked her hips to meet his hand as his fingers moved around the tiny nub. Her fingers clenched harder into the bedsheets, but she was mindful of her grip on his length in her hand. Somehow, some unknown instinct drove her to pump her hand up and down his shaft, just slightly, testing to see if he liked it.

His answering groan told her she was doing something right. She let out a whisper of a laugh and allowed the instinct to take over as she felt her body start to tighten all at once.

"That's it, baby...mmm...just like that," he growled low in her ear, sending another wave of tingles through her body before finally centering between her legs. She thrust harder against his hand, aching for release. Daryl ducked his head and suckled her breast again, pulling and stretching her nipple, just this side of being painful as he pulled his mouth away, then came back up to her ear. He hissed in another breath and pushed his length further into her hand. "Oh, Beth...mmm, c'mon, baby," he whispered harshly.

Beth turned her head, seeking him, his mouth and, finally locating him, pressed her lips to his. They opened to each other and he let her pour her cries of ecstasy into him as she finally climaxed.

It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before, even anything brought on by her own fingers. She fought to catch her breath as waves of pleasure coursed through each nerve ending in her body. They kissed as she came down off her high, his fingers slowing to a stop and resting against her just as everything was becoming suddenly over-sensitive.

"Beth..." he murmured softly as he moved against her hand again, which startled her. She realized she'd stopped moving her hand as well, and that he was now apparently teetering on the same edge she had just been riding along. Perhaps neither of them could multi-task, at least not at this point. She began to pump her hand along his length again, half surprised that she even had the wherewithal to function at all. He stayed still, and she realized her breathing was matching his, growing heavier each second. He grunted low in her ear in time with her movements, until suddenly he froze, a strangled groan escaping his mouth. She continued to stroke him through his pants, feeling him pulse and throb as he shuddered next to her.

"Holy shit," Daryl whispered as he fell back against the pillows, working his arm beneath her shoulders and pulling Beth closer, into his chest. His heart pounded against her cheek as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You okay?" he murmured against her cheek. Beth smiled as she felt them fit together perfectly, even if it was just his nose pressed to her temple and their breath mingling together.

"Mm-hmm," she sighed contentedly, her hand resting on his chest, fingers playing through the hairs that grew there. "God, that felt so good." And she meant it. It wasn't her first orgasm, but it was the first one brought on by someone else touching her...and technically, he hadn't even touched her. Jimmy had never tried to go that far with her, and any time Zach had touched her, it just...wasn't right. It was as if he was in some kind of rush and would just stop trying if she didn't finish right away. Daryl, however, seemed to have forged a direct connection between his fingers and her pleasure center. Beth grinned at the thought and curled herself further into Daryl, dragging her knee up to let her leg drape across his. "You okay?" she asked.

"Shit. Better 'n okay," he said, his voice still hushed, but loud enough to send vibrations through her body once again. His fingers traced up and down her arm as their breathing returned to normal. After a while, he shifted next to her, and she felt rather than saw his free hand reach down to adjust himself in his pants. "Actually," he murmured, easing his arm from underneath her, "lemme up a minute."

Beth removed her arm and leg from their places on him, releasing him from her embrace. She felt the weight on the mattress shift beside her and heard him warn to watch her eyes. Next thing she knew she was scrunching her eyes shut against the sudden light that filled the room. Daryl had turned on the lamp on his nightstand and was sitting up, his back facing her.

She was still blinking the bright spot out of her vision as Daryl pushed himself off the bed and made his way to his dresser. Beth sat up and straightened her shirt, forgoing re-hooking her bra for the moment, and wiggling until her underwear weren't pressed so tightly against her anymore. When her eyes were recovered enough to see again, she looked up and found him, and immediately looked away, blushing furiously.

Daryl was standing, his back still turned to her, but completely naked...bare ass and all.

Beth couldn't contain the nervous giggle that bubbled up and out of her. It was just his butt, but it was _his butt_, and he seemed completely unabashed by exposing it to her.

She sneaked another glance just as he was pulling on a fresh pair of underwear, feeling relief and mild disappointment simultaneously. Her eyes met his when he turned around, and he smirked at what she was sure was her expression, and she wondered what he saw there.

She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised or stunned. They'd just had their hands on each other in a very intimate way. Seeing someone's butt shouldn't be all that much of a shock after what had just happened between them, and after all, he _had_ seen her boobs...a couple times now. Still, it was new to her, as was everything that had just happened between them, and while she knew she'd get over it, and probably very quickly, she found it difficult to look him in the eye just yet.

Daryl returned to the bed, crawling under the covers with her. He lay down next to her, propping himself up on his elbow. She could feel him looking at her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her fingers twisting around each other nervously in her lap. His fingers gently wrapped around her upper arm, his thumb tracing along her skin. "Beth?" His voice was soft yet heavy with concern.

Beth glanced over at him, feeling a pang of guilt when she saw the frown on his face. The last thing she wanted was to have him think he'd done anything wrong. She didn't know what to tell him, how to make him understand. She just felt so childish, embarrassed by seeing him like that, regardless of what they had just done. _'It's just basic human anatomy,'_ she scolded herself. _'Everyone has one. Stop being such a stupid little girl and grow up. Good Lord, you just had your hand on him, but you can't handle seeing his butt? What is _wrong _with you? You're such a child. How could you even think he'd really want an immature little girl like you? How long do you think you can keep this up before he realizes just what you are and leaves you? Leaves you like everyone else has...'_

_No. No, not again._ It had been a long time since this side of her psyche took hold. She'd been so busy being happy with Daryl that her self-sabotaging side hadn't had much of a chance to really come out and play. Oh, sure, she'd had the odd derogatory comment about herself, but never anything as strong as this...and she could only feel it growing stronger.

She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before she got too upset with herself. She was being childish. She's a grown woman, not some little middle school kid who gets all nervous because she saw someone naked. And not just someone, the man she loved, loved him more than anything in the world. And people hadn't left her; she had pulled away, not knowing how to cope with her grief anymore. She focused on quieting her thoughts and worked to keep her breathing steady until the uneasy feeling that had quickly filled her started to subside.

When Beth opened her eyes, she saw Daryl sitting up next to her, his face lined with concern. Beth wondered how long she'd been sitting here with her eyes shut, lost in her own thoughts. She gave him a weak, and hopefully apologetic, smile, though his expression didn't change.

"I'm okay, I promise. Sometimes my thoughts get the better of me and I kind of...space out and shut down for a while," she tried explaining. "It happens sometimes, but I..." she trailed off, and ended with a weak sigh, mumbling, "I just have to work through it."

Daryl raised his eyebrows, gazing intently at her, silently asking for more. A cold chill ran down her spine; she dreaded what his question would be. "Does this...happen a lot?"

Damn. There it was. She really didn't want to go down this road, especially not now, right after they had made each other feel so good, but it's not like she could just avoid it. She had agreed with her mother that she needed to tell him, that he deserved to know about her past just like he had revealed his along with his scarred back. She looked up to meet his eyes and felt her own start to fill with tears. "Not...a lot. Just sometimes," she offered quietly.

He didn't say a word. He barely moved. Beth swallowed hard and moved on the mattress to face him directly. She wanted, more than anything, to reach out to him, to hold on to his hands, to keep that connection between them, but instead kept her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath, then another, not sure where to start. _'Might as well be the beginning,'_ some inner voice told her.

Another sudden fear filled her. What if he didn't want her anymore once he knew? His scars were not self-inflicted. With all the awful things that had happened to him, he'd never given up. He'd found a way to cope somehow. Would he see her as weak? Would he leave her?

Did he already know? Would Maggie talk to him about her sister who'd tried to kill herself?

Only one way to find out.

"You, um...you know about Shawn, right? My brother? What happened to him?" she began, and he nodded. She figured Daryl's being friends with Glenn and Maggie, the topic had probably come up at one time or another, and was relieved that she wouldn't have to tell the whole story to him. "When he died...I took it..._really_ hard. I couldn't get out of my own head, and everyone else seemed to be moving on without me. I just..." The words caught in her throat.

Had it been this hard for him to tell her about his past? He was so strong, and she felt so weak even just talking about this. She took another deep breath and pressed on, determined to get this out. "I got tired of feeling nothing. Tired of being left behind. Tired of being empty. So one day when I couldn't take it anymore, I locked myself in my bathroom." She slowly extended her arm and held it out to him, angling it so the silver bracelet rolled over the heel of her palm, exposing the scar hidden beneath it.

Daryl sat in silence a moment before gingerly taking her hand in his, looking down at the silvery scar that marked her skin. He didn't say a word, which frightened Beth. She'd give anything to know what he was thinking in that moment. She closed her eyes, trying her hardest not to cry. _'Congratulations, idiot girl. You just lost him. And now you sit here, crying like the pathetic baby that you are.'_

All of a sudden, she felt her hand being moved, and Daryl's lips pressing over the scar on her wrist. She gasped at the feeling, not daring to open her eyes yet. Her ears were filled with the sweetest sound she thought she'd ever heard.

"Beth," he said softly, his voice tender, wrapping her like a warm, soft blanket. "It's okay." Then silence again. She peeked up from under her eyelashes, blinking away the tears that had collected, and found him looking at her, waiting for her to open her eyes before continuing. "Thank you for tellin' me. That couldn't have been easy." He let the pad of his thumb trace over her wrist, "It don't change nothin'. I ain't goin' anywhere."

Beth blinked again at him, his words washing over her, cleansing the doubt and worry and fear from her heart. She could feel his love surrounding her. It was like a physical weight had been lifted off of her and replaced by something warm and beautiful. She was transported back in time to when he had revealed his scars to her and realized he'd just given her the same reassurances she had given him.

"I want ya to know," he said, turning her hand in his and reaching to hold her other hand, "you don't gotta go through anything alone...not anymore. If somethin's buggin' ya, you can tell me. Even if there's nothin' I can do...just to get outta yer own head."

Her heart was absolutely soaring within her. Her face broke into a wide smile and she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck. "I love you, Daryl," she whispered, "I love you so much."

Daryl wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. She felt his smile against her shoulder as he whispered, "I love you, too, Buttercup."

They lay down together, still wrapped up in each other, gifting each other kisses that didn't lead to anywhere other than expressing without words just how much one loved the other. It wasn't how she'd really wanted to tell him, but she realized that it was perfect, perfect for them, and that was all that mattered.

They drifted back to sleep, neither knowing exactly when or how long they'd been that way until Beth snapped awake, her eyes blinking against the light from the lamp Daryl had left on.

"Daryl!" Beth exclaimed, sitting up suddenly in bed. Daryl made a startled noise when he jerked awake, which Beth almost giggled at. Instead she asked, "What time is it? I've got to get home before everyone wakes up."

Daryl fumbled around, his hand finally landing on her thigh. "Relax. I set an alarm for five-thirty." His hand trailed toward her waist and ineffectually tried to pull her toward him.

She turned to look down at him, taking in his still sleepy countenance, bed head and all, and felt her heart melt within her chest. _He takes such good care of me. _ Beth mumbled a warning, "I'm notorious for sleeping through alarms. I have to set three in different parts of my room to get out of bed in the morning."

Daryl didn't even lift his head off the pillow. "Trust me, you won't sleep through this one," he said, peeking up at her with one sleepy eye and giving her a grin that made her heart melt even more. She relaxed under his hand and allowed him to pull her further into his arms.

Beth snuggled into him, tucking her head beneath his chin, feeling his breath dance across the top of her head, and inhaling the scent that was so decidedly Daryl which had been surrounding her here in his bed but became oh so potent breathing it directly from the source. She sighed, relaxing completely in his embrace, smiling when his arms tightened further around her.

They had just started to doze, curled up in each other when the blaringly loud guitar riff from "Back in Black" shattered the silence. The sound seemed to come from everywhere; Beth shot out of bed, heart pounding in her chest and eyes wild, searching for the source. Daryl pushed himself out of bed and moved with a practiced walk to the stereo system sitting on the dresser.

"_That's _your alarm?" Beth asked incredulously.

"Told ya you wouldn't sleep through it," he teased. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on her hips. "I have the same problem as you, 'specially down here in the dark basement. No natural light is killer. Need fuckin' surround sound to wake my ass up."

She smiled up at him at his admission. "Doesn't that wake everyone else up?"

Daryl shrugged, "If it does, no one says anything. Merle would sleep through a tornado blowin' through the house if you let him, and I figure everyone else is just used to it or they just go right back to sleep." He bent his head and kissed her just below her ear, causing her to giggle. "God, you smell good," he murmured against her.

Beth grinned and rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I smell like chlorine."

"Well, maybe to an untrained nose, but to me you smell fuckin' wonderful." He kissed her again, this time full on the lips. Her arms twined around his neck, just for a moment, before she pulled away, immediately wishing she hadn't, that she didn't have to, especially considering the look he was giving her at the moment.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, placing her hands on his still bare chest. "I really do have to get going soon. Still have to stop at a store before I head home."

Daryl nodded solemnly, reluctantly releasing her. "You want somethin' ta eat before ya head out?"

Beth grinned up at him. "Well, maybe something quick," she conceded. She followed Daryl up the stairs into the kitchen. He offered a selection of cereals, then poured them each a bowl.

Her heart was fluttering the whole time. Granted, she'd spent the night in Zach's dorm room. (Never at Jimmy's – neither of their parents would have allowed anything like that.) Those mornings were always awkward and hurried; Beth was usually in a rush to avoid the walk of shame and all the looks from students on their way to early classes, even though there was nothing for her to be ashamed of. Even on weekends, she and Zach never even so much as shared breakfast.

Now here she was, the first time spending the night with this man she loved so very much, sitting next to him at the table, casting glances at each other over bowls of cereal, feeling so completely right and normal, and she didn't think she could be happier.

Once they'd finished and cleared everything away, Daryl walked Beth out to her car, where they stood, facing each other. If she hadn't promised her mother to spend the day at home, she'd be sorely tempted to talk Daryl into calling in to work and just spend the day in his arms, not even necessarily doing anything, just being together. It seemed that the little time they usually got to spend with each other was always spent doing something, never just being a couple.

Her mind flitted back to that first night, after they'd cleaned up after Glenn and Maggie's wedding, when she'd led him to her favorite place in the world and just sat together amid the stars and fireflies shining above and around them. She remembered how content she had felt, despite being slightly nervous around this man she hardly knew. In the back of her mind, she silently wished for them to be able to go back to that, for more time together, but knew it was a fool's wish, that their lives just weren't going to allow that to happen just yet.

Beth deposited her bag into the passenger seat and turned to face Daryl one last time before leaving. "So, I guess I'll talk to you tonight?" Daryl asked, bringing his thumb to his mouth to chew on what was left of the nail there. She placed her hand over his and gently dragged it away then reached up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his, giving him her silent answer.

It seemed that each kiss with Daryl had a different meaning, a different purpose; this one was definitely one reserved for goodbye, long and lasting, like neither wanted it to end. She knew she had to leave, however much she didn't want to, and pulled herself away from him. "I gotta go," she breathed then pecked him once more on the lips. "Love you."

Daryl backed away so Beth could get into her car. "Love you, too, Buttercup. Have fun with yer folks."

Beth grinned at him as she started her car, waving at him before pulling away from the curb. She was too happy to cry, but felt a pang of sadness at leaving. _Will this ever get easier?_

Beth took a deep breath in and puffed it out, shaking her head before any detrimental thoughts could enter her mind. She set out for the local grocery store, thankful for it being a twenty-four hour market, picking up the items she needed for baking brownies with her mother, along with some snacks to contribute to the Greene family barbecue later that day.

Once she reached the farmhouse, she quietly put everything away in the kitchen then sneaked up to her room, taking a quick shower to get the chlorine out of her hair. By the time she had finished and gotten dressed, she could smell the wonderful aroma of fresh brewed coffee wafting upstairs. Beth followed her nose to the kitchen to find Maggie pulling a coffee mug from the cabinet. Hearing her younger sister walking in on the worn kitchen floor, Maggie glanced over her shoulder and grinned at Beth, then grabbed another mug. "Morning," she greeted Beth as she grabbed two apples from the basket on the counter.

"Good morning," Beth smiled back. "Glenn still asleep?"

Maggie nodded and wiped off her apple before taking a bite. "We got in a little later than expected last night," she mumbled around a mouthful of fruit then swallowed. "But not as late as some people," she continued with a grin. "So you're spending the night with Daryl now, huh?"

Beth blushed and played with the stem of her apple. "It's not like I meant to. We just kind of…fell asleep together."

"Wearing each other out already? Wow, who knew my baby sister would move so fast?" Maggie teased.

"Maggie!" Beth hissed. "It's not like that. Nothing happened."

"Nothing?"

Beth focused on the fruit in her hands. "Nothing," she said, making sure not to make eye contact. Maggie had an uncanny way of seeing right through Beth any time she tried to hide something from her, and she just wasn't ready to share this particular part of her life just yet.

Maggie sighed heavily and joined Beth at the breakfast counter. "Okay," she said, "nothing happened. So what _did_ you do?"

"Went swimming, Merle and Carol barbecued," Beth said nonchalantly. "I got to meet Jeremy, finally," she added, then sat up straighter and faced her sister. "That reminds me. Why didn't you say anything about Daryl having a little boy?"

"I figured it wasn't really my place. I mean, shouldn't that kind of information come from your boyfriend?" Maggie replied.

She thought for a moment. While Maggie might have had a point, Beth still thought that her sister, who had known Daryl for much longer than she had, could have at least given her a heads up. "Besides," Maggie continued, "I was off on my honeymoon when you two got together. I came back and you two were already well on your way. I figured he'd told you already."

Beth grinned and felt her face flush a little. Another thought came to her mind. "Did you ever meet…her?" Beth asked.

"I think Glenn did. Once. Apparently we weren't exactly the type of people she chose to associate herself with," Maggie answered bitterly. "All I know is she was a major bit...er...handful and didn't treat Daryl or Jeremy worth a damn."

Beth took another sip of her coffee as she thought about what her sister had said. She couldn't understand how that woman could walk away from what she had. Daryl was sweet and kind and loving...and so damn sexy, and Jeremy, though she didn't get to talk too much with him, seemed like a good kid. How could she just throw all of that away?

Not that Beth was complaining. If Daryl was still with his ex, she wouldn't be where she is now, head over heels in love with a man who treated her like a princess and made her heart flutter at just the thought of him. Now all she could hope for was to be given the chance to show these two Dixon boys what it meant to be loved and cared for the way they should have been the whole time.

Maggie continued trying to grill Beth for more details of what happened between her and Daryl so far. Beth wasn't like her sister, though, who spilled all the details of her love life. What she had with Daryl was special, more than special, and she wanted to keep it all to herself in the recesses of her heart, leaving Maggie disappointed and woefully unsuccessful in her questioning.

Beth drained her cup, preparing for Maggie's next assault, when Annette entered the kitchen. Beth hopped off her chair to refill her own and pour her mother a cup of coffee, hoping to start today off better than yesterday had gone.

"And just when did you get home, young lady?" Annette asked. Beth's heart sank in her chest, thinking she was about to get another earful, until she saw the grin spreading over both Maggie and her mom's faces.

Beth grinned and mumbled into her coffee cup, "Late."

Annette gave Maggie a look. "Hey, don't ask me," Maggie said, placing one hand over her heart and raising the other in the air. "I've been trying to get more out of her since she came downstairs, and she keeps saying nothing happened." A devilish grin spread across her sister's face, "But then she goes and does _that_," Maggie added, pointing at Beth, whose cheeks were now turning a very bright red.

Beth almost snorted into her coffee cup as a nervous giggle bubbled up.

"Oh, stop it, Maggie," Annette playfully scolded her oldest daughter. "You're just upset that we didn't catch her 'doing nothing,' like we did you," she finished, using finger quotes to punctuate her point. "Your father and I have always trusted you girls to make good decisions, and we'll continue to do so."

Beth fought back a sigh of relief, glad that she had somehow escaped another round of the third degree. Moments later, Hershel joined them, followed soon by Glenn, who was sporting a hilarious case of bed head. As they ate a quick breakfast together, the family discussed the plan for the day. Glenn and Maggie took care of dishes while Hershel settled himself in his armchair with his newspaper. Annette and Beth worked on a marinade for the meat they would be grilling later in the afternoon.

Annette suggested all three Greene girls hit the Labor Day sales while they still lasted and let the boys enjoy some father and son-in-law bonding time, whatever that might entail. They grabbed their purses and headed for the front porch, setting off for the day, leaving Hershel with a mischievous grin and Glenn with a look of trepidation...and Beth and Maggie giggling at the both of them.

Maggie volunteered to drive, and the three women made their way through the nearest mall. Beth ended up lucking out on lots of fall and winter clothes perfect for teaching, as well as little embellishments for her apartment. They grabbed a light lunch while they were out, knowing any meal they'd eat at the house wouldn't be ready for a few more hours at the least.

"So," Annette began, and Beth knew what was coming before she uttered another syllable. "I hear you got to meet Daryl's son yesterday."

Beth nodded, "Jeremy. He seems like a sweet kid. He's quiet, but considering his father and what they've both been through already, I'm not really surprised."

Annette picked at the fries still left in her wax paper-lined basket and hummed thoughtfully. "And how old is he?"

"Ten."

"And how do you feel about that?"

Beth looked at her mother, confusion written on her features. "What do you mean, how do I feel?"

"Well," Annette answered after glancing at Maggie, "You two seem to be getting serious...spending the night at his place and all." Beth started to try and explain, but Annette pressed on. "It's fine if...that you did. You're an adult with a good head on her shoulders, and I meant it when I said I trust you. Still, that doesn't change the fact that if you and Daryl continue down the road I think you're on, it's not just you two to think about. He's got a little boy and an ex-wife that you'll have to...well...consider as you two plan your future."

"Mom!" Beth interjected. "We've been dating just over a month. I don't even know if he wants to get married again."

"Beth, honey," Maggie said with a weighed sigh. "Think about it. Has he given you any reason to think he's not in this for the long haul?" She went on to prove her point, but Beth found herself tuning her sister out.

Beth grew quiet and thought about what Maggie had said, and stayed that way for the rest of their meal together, though it seemed her mother and sister barely noticed. Annette's attention was drawn to a young family entering the deli, and now focused solely on Maggie, questioning her oldest daughter about when she and Glenn would start their own family. Even when they left to continue shopping, Beth found it difficult to focus on spending her day with her family. Instead, her mind kept running over and over what the other two had said. Beth had to physically shake the thoughts out of her head to keep herself from being so distracted.

Once they returned to the farm house, Beth and Annette started the brownie mix and slid the pan into the oven while Hershel showed Glenn the finer art of grilling. The meal was of course delicious (meals at home always were), and Beth, surrounded by her family, realized just how much she had missed really spending time with them. It was, however, a reality she would need to accept and deal with. Now that her training period was wrapping up at her new job, she'd be getting more hours, not to mention that there were many more teaching opportunities in the Atlanta area and its suburbs – certainly more than there were in her little home town of Senoia. Once she graduated, she wasn't likely to move back home, and would in fact see them less and less. She was excited for her future, but the thought of not being able to be with her family like this made her heart ache just a little bit.

After dinner and warm and fudgy brownie sundaes for dessert, Beth, Maggie and Glenn hugged their parents goodbye and headed to their own homes. Beth's mind wandered as she drove, and her lead foot threatened to take over. It was Maggie's unusually careful driving ahead of her that kept her speed in check for most of the drive home. Her thoughts travelled, as usual, to Daryl and what she had almost discussed today at lunch. Maggie had said that if Beth couldn't see how much Daryl loved her, she must be blind or oblivious. She thought about that, her memories becoming clear as she called them to the forefront of her mind.

With every memory she recalled, her smile became wider and her heart began fluttering in her chest. Once Maggie and Glenn took the exit toward their home, it took all Beth's self-control to keep her car going the speed limit...or just over...all the way to her apartment. The second she reached the inside of her apartment and had unloaded all she had taken with her over the weekend, along with her purchases from earlier, she dialed Daryl's number and fought back a fit of giggles when he answered after the first ring.

"Hey, Buttercup," he said in his slow, sexy Southern drawl which nearly made Beth swoon, even though it had been just over twelve hours since she'd last heard his voice.

"Hi," she replied, not sure where the blush now covering her cheeks was coming from. "How was your day at work?"

"Slow as shit," he mumbled. "Hardly even worth going in except for the holiday pay. Ended up closing shop early. Guess everyone figured we were closed so no one really showed up 'cept for a guy who blew a tire and then a busted air conditioner."

"Well, at least you had an easy day," she tried commiserating and smiled at his gruff 'harumph' of a response.

"I bet all that barbeque was real tough to deal with," he snarked back at her teasingly.

She scoffed at that. "Hey now, you didn't spend all day with mom and Maggie grilling me on where I was and what's going on with the two of us."

Daryl laughed, a sound that went right to Beth's heart, "No, I s'pose I didn't. They weren't too hard on ya were they?"

"Not too bad, I guess," Beth answered, deciding to leave out the part where Annette and Maggie basically told her they were ready to start planning another wedding in the very near future. "I sure missed you, though."

"Missed you, too, Buttercup. This once a week thing is about killing me."

"I know," Beth agreed, trying not to tear up. "To make matters worse, Dawn said I'd be getting more hours at the custard stand now that my training is over, so I might not be able to come down on weekends like I have been." She frowned when she heard Daryl's disappointed sigh. "We'll make it work, Daryl."

"I know, darlin'. I know. We just hardly had any time already, now it's just gonna get worse," he complained.

Beth felt sympathetic and a little relieved that he had the same concerns she did. She fought to stay optimistic. "Well, they can't have me work seven days a week. Once I get my schedule, I'll let you know and we'll figure something out." An idea came to her suddenly. "Maybe I could just request Friday nights off every week, so we could at least work around that?" she suggested.

"Couldn't hurt to ask, I guess," he answered. Beth could practically hear him shrugging his answer.

"Alright," Beth announced, shaking herself, "happier topics. No more talking about jobs. How's Jeremy?"

"He's fine. Same as usual, tryin' ta beat that Mario game now that he knows you can beat it. Looks like ya made an impression on him."

Beth laughed, "Well, I'm glad. He's great, Daryl. You should be proud of him."

"I am," he said softly. "Hey, speaking of," his voice grew louder, as if he was excited about something. "He's got his first football game coming up next week. Wanna come cheer him on?"

"Oh, Daryl, I'd love to! Let me see what my schedule has in store for me and I'll do my very best to be there for him," she promised, hoping against hope that she wasn't already scheduled. Daryl gave her the when and where details for the game and Beth wrote them on her wall calendar and made a mental note to check when she got her work schedule the next day. "Alright, I kinda need to get ready for teaching tomorrow. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," he said earnestly. "G'night, buttercup."

Beth smiled into the receiver, "Good night, Daryl. Love you."

"Love you, too, Beth. Sweet dreams."

Beth reluctantly ended the call, sighing heavily and happily all at once, and began packing her teaching bag with everything she'd need for the next day, going over her lesson plans one last time before heading to bed.

As she lay in bed, her mind once again bringing up all kinds of Daryl-filled memories, especially those from early this morning, she came to a very important decision.

She needed to come up with a nickname just for Daryl. She smiled as she wracked her brain with possibilities, finally falling to sleep to wonderful thoughts that lead to dreams of her, Daryl and Jeremy as a happy little family unit.

**Guh. Finally. Again, I'm really sorry this took so long to get out. Hopefully it was worth the wait. Thank you so very much for your patience. Hopefully now that I got over the "first post back" bump, updates will come a little faster.**

**So, what should her little pet name for Daryl be? I've got a couple in mind, but am always open to suggestions. Leave me your ideas and thoughts in a comment.**


	16. Looking

**I'm back! I promised I would be, just didn't think it would take this long. Strange thing about pregnancy – my muse/inspiration/willpower completely disappeared. Super ironic thing – taking care of an infant seems to have completely jumpstarted my writing mojo. The tricky part is I'm still taking care of an infant (and soon to start back to work) so my time for writing is significantly diminished. I'll update when I can – that's about the best I can offer. **

**Special shout outs to piper1076 and property-of-murphy-macmanus for being my cheerleaders through my last little slump. Love you girls!**

**Thanks to vettech60, bubbibear13, soniabell, Remi Savant, Carowen, foreverwishing, An Amber Pen, cemmia, Loves2Paint, mamaDCB, kevkye, SkyeJ, DarylDixon'sLover, UltimateBethylFicList and my guest readers for your wonderful reviews. **

Beth's heart sank when she got to work at the custard stand and saw she was scheduled the exact time as Jeremy's first game. The disappointment must have been clearly evident in her demeanor despite her best efforts to remain cheerful for her customers. It wasn't long before Noah, the boy that had trained her, was asking her what was bothering her.

"I was really kind of hoping I'd be off this Friday. It's my boyfriend's son's first football game and I really wanted to be there for him."

"Any requests for time off need to be submitted in writing at least two weeks prior," said a voice from behind her. She jumped at the sound and fought the shiver trying to race down her spine. She turned to see Gorman standing there, his appearance matching his voice. "Although," he added and suggestively adjusted the waistband of his pants on his hips," I'm sure we can figure something out for extenuating circumstances." The grin on his face was downright devious as he looked her up and down.

Beth took a step backwards before being stopped by the counter behind her. "That's...okay," she stammered. "It's not an emergency or anything. I'll just have to catch another one."

"Well," Gorman replied, his smile only increasing in sleaziness, "you just let me know if you need me to work something out for you." He ran his tongue along his top lip and scraped his teeth along his bottom lip, only adding to his creepiness.

Beth forced a smile and nodded before he turned to go back to the manager's office in the rear. Her smile faded once he was out of sight and her shoulders slumped in relief. "Is he always like that?" she whispered to Noah.

"Well, not to me," Noah grinned. "Tell you what...I'll switch shifts with you if you want. You take my Sunday open for your Friday close."

Beth's face lit up with a bright smile. "Oh my gosh, really?" she exclaimed, temporarily forgetting she was within earshot of one of her bosses. "Noah, you are amazing. Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me yet. You get to tell the boss."

She grimaced at that, but figured it would be worth it in the long run. Beth waited for a lull in the line of customers before approaching Dawn. She was more or less okay with the switch, reminding Beth not to make a habit of this type of behavior then going on about the 'greater good' of the business and not taking advantage of others. Beth swore to herself to make a conscious effort to never land herself in this situation again.

The moment Beth was home, had set her things out ready for school the next day and gotten ready for bed, noting the late hour, she texted Daryl: **_I've got good news. _**Several minutes later, he responded.

**_Oh yeah?_**

**_Yeah. Can you talk?_**

**_Better not. Everyone's asleep up here._**

**_Pretty crappy reception in the basement._**

**_Oh. Okay._**

**_Anyway, I was scheduled for _**

**_Friday, but Noah switched with me!_**

**_That's great, Buttercup._**

**_The best part is that now I don't have_**

**_to close with Gorman._**

**_That guy just gives me the creeps._**

**_Is that so?_**

**_Yeah, but now I get a night away from him._**

**_Good._**

**_So, wanna meet at Merle's and_**

**_we'll go to the game together?_**

**_Sounds like a plan, Stan._**

**_Not sure I like you bringing up_**

**_all these other guys names._**

**_Trust me. You have nothing to worry about._**

**_Hey, I should probably get to bed soon._**

**_Yeah, me too. _**

**_G'night, Beth._**

**_Good night, Daryl._**

**_Love you._**

**_Love you back._**

The good thing about student teaching and picking up more hours at the custard stand was Beth stayed incredibly busy. Not busy enough to let either of her jobs suffer at all, but enough to make the week fly by. That's not to say she didn't enjoy teaching, or her hours serving customers – quite the opposite in fact. She was taking on more and more responsibility at school, planning more lessons for her students, and, as long as Gorman and Dawn weren't breathing down her neck, making concretes, sundaes, and shakes was almost fun. The evenings in the Atlanta autumn were still very warm, and the fact that there was very little down time only made the minutes at work tick by even quicker.

Still, as much as she liked her days being full and though she considered both jobs fulfilling in their own ways, the second she could leave to head back home, she took advantage, barely tossing a goodbye over her shoulder at Mrs. Shelor as she practically ran out the door. She had already gassed up her car, so there was nothing stopping her from heading straight for the highway to get herself to Merle's house.

Nothing except for miles of construction.

In a panic, she called Daryl to let him know she was running late. _Of course I get his voicemail_, she thought. "Hey, Daryl. I'm so sorry, but I'm stuck in traffic and I don't know how much longer I'll be." She glanced at the clock, "It's already close to five and I've got at least thirty miles to go...and I can't see an end in sight to this construction." She sighed heavily, willing herself to stop the tears from forming. "I guess I can just meet you at the football field and hope I can find you. Um...okay. Love you. Bye." She tossed the phone into the passenger seat and sat back, trying to relax and failing miserably. It wasn't just about making Daryl wait; according to their conversations over the past week, Jeremy was looking forward to having Beth there to cheer him on, and she didn't want to disappoint him.

_It's not a big deal. They know you're on your way, you know how to get to the field, and once you get there, just call Daryl again. This is not the end of the world, and not your fault._ She'd been striving to stifle her negative thoughts before they could start, ever since opening up to Daryl about it. It was a slow process, and it's not like she wanted to get herself in a place where the destructive thinking would flare up all that often. Still, at least for now, it seemed to be working. The panicky feeling in her chest seemed to be abating, and, as if it could sense her frustration, the trickle of traffic began to move into a slow stream. It wasn't a huge improvement, but any movement was better than none.

She finally arrived at the park and found where Jeremy's team was playing. Of course there was limited parking anyway, leaving Beth to find a spot that was nowhere near the playing field. Once she found a place to park, she called Daryl...and hung up as it went to voicemail again. _He probably just didn't hear it. There are a ton of people here. _She tried again...and again. By this time, she had made her way past the concession stand and up to the bleachers.

Before her was a sea of people – who knew peewee football had such a big draw? She scanned the stands for Daryl and was starting to get nervous when she didn't see him. Had she gone to the wrong field? All the boys were in their gear, so it wasn't like she could pick Jeremy out of the team line up, either. She tried calling Daryl's cell phone again.

She had just brought the phone up to her ear, her free hand covering her other ear to block out some of the noise of the crowd, when she felt someone grab her from behind. Beth let out a shriek and spun around, ready to, well, call for help or something, when she saw the culprit. "Jesus, Daryl, you scared me to death!"

Daryl stood there, his arms still held loosely around her waist, with a mischievous grin crossing his face. "Don't see why. You walked right past me."

She blinked up at him. "I did? When?"

"Just now. I was standing right by the snack bar and you blew right past me. Lookin' for someone?" he said. All the while, his fingers were acting as though they were just itching to bury underneath her shirt.

Beth took a step further into his arms, just shy of being flush up against him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, looking for my super-hot boyfriend. Have you seen him?" she teased.

His eyes narrowed, trying his best to look peeved, but his smile gave him away. "Nah. Must be somewhere else, so I better take advantage." With that, he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Beth returned his kiss, but remembered where they were and pulled back quickly. They didn't need to be making a scene in front of all these people. Daryl seemed to understand, though it didn't stop him from dropping one more quick kiss on her lips. "Missed you, Buttercup. Come on, our seats are over here."

He took her hand and led her to the middle set of bleachers and started climbing the metal steps. The ref blew his whistle and the teams moved, running around and tackling each other, trying to move the ball down the field. Beth couldn't help but wince whenever someone was tackled, regardless of what team they were on.

She leaned over to talk into Daryl's ear, knowing there'd be no way he'd hear her otherwise. "What number is Jeremy?"

"Sixty-three. He's the kicker." They looked at each other, and Daryl continued, "He don't get a lot of play time, but he's damn good at it. Accurate as all hell."

Beth took in the look of pride on his face as he turned back to the game. A glance at all the players showed that, sure enough, Jeremy was sitting on the bench, thoroughly engaged in watching his teammates. She wasn't really paying attention to the game itself, so it caught her by surprise when everyone around her rose to their feet and started cheering excitedly. By the time she stood up to see what was going on, the crowd literally went wild; their team had scored their first touchdown!

Some of the people around them sat back down, and Beth was about to join them, but noticed that Daryl was still standing. _Of course. Now they need the field goal._ Sure enough, Jeremy was fastening the chinstrap of his helmet as he hustled out onto the field. He took his place near the quarterback and waited for the snap.

Beth felt a surge of pride herself watching Jeremy gear up to make the kick. Just as Daryl had said, the kid was really good. He made it look completely effortless as he approached the ball and sent it soaring over the goal post. The fans all cheered as the extra point was made, and despite usually being soft spoken, none of them cheered louder than Daryl.

The game went on with the score significantly lopsided; Jeremy was not the only talented athlete on their team. Beth still cringed with every hit and tackle, but the boys all seemed to be having fun, showing no signs of being hurt or even feeling tired. Daryl excused himself and returned several minutes later with a box of popcorn and two sodas, one for each of them. It wasn't any kind of grand gesture, but it was sweet, and Beth rewarded him with a kiss for it; he earned another when he produced a package of Twizzlers from his back pocket.

Before she knew it, the final whistle blew and the game was over. The crowd trickled down to the ground as the teams lined up to congratulate each other on a good game. Beth watched with a wide smile as Daryl half-hugged Jeremy and told him what a good job he'd done to help his team win. Realizing they weren't nearly at the hugging stage, and not sure if Jeremy would appreciate any physical contact from a girl he'd only met once, she offered a high-five, which she was happy he accepted.

The coach made his way around to all the parents, letting them all know the plan was to meet up at the local pizzeria to celebrate. When they got there, it seemed as though the owner knew the team was coming and had the back room set up and ready for them, including pitchers of ice water waiting on the tables. The boys all ate at the large table in the middle while the parents found places at the four-tops around the room. Daryl and Beth ended up sitting with another couple, Morgan and Jenny; their son Duane was the quarterback.

Conversation went from the team's success, to practices, to the weather, to jobs. Beth felt only slightly out of place; even though she was clearly the youngest adult in the room, Morgan and Jenny made her feel welcome from the start, regardless of her not contributing much to the conversation.

When everyone was finishing up their meals, Jeremy and Duane came to their table, both excitedly rambling on about Jeremy spending the night so they could practice just the two of them tomorrow morning. Neither Daryl nor Jenny and Morgan saw anything wrong with the arrangement. Morgan and Daryl exchanged information and the six of them went to their respective cars. Daryl had to remind Jeremy that they had to stop at home before going to the Jones' house, pointing out that Jenny (whom Jeremy was to call Mrs. Jones unless he was told otherwise) wouldn't appreciate him sitting around in his dirty and sweaty uniform.

After a mad dash to his room, Jeremy came hurtling down the hallway to the living room where Beth and Daryl were waiting. When Daryl had finished grilling him on what all he was taking with him, Jeremy raced them out to the pickup truck, practically jumping with a mixture of excitement and impatience as he waited for the other two to make their way down the driveway. Once they had arrived at the Jones' house, Daryl had hardly put the truck in park before Jeremy climbed over Beth's lap and shoved the door open and ran up to their front door. There must have been a similar scenario going on with this family, because Duane had the door open before Jeremy even made it up the walk to the porch.

Daryl joined him on the front step, and Morgan was standing in the foyer, laughing at the two boys' excited chattering. Beth, who was still waiting in the truck, saw the men shake hands before Daryl turned and started back down the walk. When he slid in to his seat behind the steering wheel, Beth scooted over the bench seat so she was sitting right next to him. He started the engine then brought his arm to rest along the back of the seat, pulling her in even closer until she was cozied right up against his side.

"So, you're kid free. What do you feel like doing tonight?" she asked as they pulled away from the curb and back toward town.

He glanced over at her and smirked. "Oh, I think I can come up with a thing or two."

A sudden thrill ran down Beth's spine; there was a certain suggestive air about what he had said, especially with the memories of their last time together still fresh in her mind. "Oh, really?" she asked with a smile and a cocked eyebrow. She snuggled a little closer to him, "Care to clue me in on your ideas?"

Daryl chuckled, "Oh, don't worry. You'll find out." He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head as he continued down the road, winding through the streets until they were headed out of town. Eventually the porch lights appeared further from the edge of the road with more and more space between them. Well-manicured lawns gave way to clumps of trees, which transformed into a veritable forest.

Beth watched the headlights of the truck eat up the pavement ahead of them, transfixed on the sounds of the last breaths of summer as they flew in through the window. The cicadas were strangely quiet tonight, and now and then she'd hear birdsong over the wind rushing around them as the bottom of the sun reached the horizon, illuminating the sky with brilliant oranges, yellows, purples and reds. She was so lost in the beauty of it all, she was more than a little surprised when she felt Daryl apply the brakes and veer off the side of the road. She sat up straighter, concerned that they'd blown a tire without her realizing it, only to realize he was slowing to turn onto a hidden dirt road that she would have missed if she had blinked while driving down the same stretch of highway.

Daryl's grip around her shoulders tightened slightly as the truck bounced down the narrow road. Beth wished she had something to hold onto to brace herself as the tires met every little divot and bump, every rock and tree root. For a road that was obviously nearly as old as the county, it was clear no one had taken care to do any upkeep on it or the plant life that lined it on either side. She cringed at the sound of branches scraping along the sides of the truck, but decided that if Daryl wasn't concerned, she wouldn't be either.

The truck crawled to a stop, and Daryl shifted into reverse and maneuvered onto yet another hidden pathway. He finally threw the truck into park and cut the engine then looked over at Beth, and she swore there was a hint of a twinkle in his eye. He opened his door, leaned over to kiss her on the cheek then left the cab, heading for the rear end of the truck. Beth scooted across the bench and out the same door to follow him; when she reached him, he had already lowered the tailgate and was sitting there, feet dangling beneath him, looking at what appeared to be a tiny pond. He looked over at her and grinned then patted the space next to him, silently inviting her to sit.

Instead of asking where they were, Beth trusted Daryl to clue her in. She joined him in taking in the scenery, watching ripples here and there scatter across the surface of the pond, listening to the chorus of frogs and crickets echoing in the twilight of the evening. Though the sun had set, the sky was still glowing, growing dimmer as the minutes went by, but it was still light enough around them to get a good look at everything, including Daryl's expression, which she had a hard time interpreting. If she had to name it, it would've been a combination of sadness, nostalgia, and a sort of peacefulness.

"Figured it'd be a good time to show you mine," he said without looking at her.

Beth sat upright and snapped her gaze to him. "I'm...sorry?" Just what was he planning to do here, and what was he expecting from her?

He turned his focus to her face then out right laughed at her expression. "Relax, Buttercup. I guess you don't remember, huh?" Beth stared at him blankly, apparently proving his point, though he didn't seem upset about it. "Boy, you must-a done somethin' wrong if she don't remember the first night ya kissed her."

Beth frowned at that. _What on earth is he talking about?_ She began wracking her brain, trying to remember some snippet of a conversation they apparently had that evening, but so much had happened that everything was kind of a blur. She remembered dancing with him, their first kiss, how good he looked with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and tie loosened but his vest still buttoned as they helped clean up after the reception, and being wired after all the work was done. The memory hit her like a Mack truck – she had asked him to join her on a walk to her favorite spot.

"Your special spot," she said softly. She looked around again with a new understanding. "Daryl...this is beautiful."

"Yeah...needs a little cleaning up, but it's quiet. That's why I like it," he answered, tearing his eyes away from the view in front of him and focusing suddenly on his foot, still swinging below him. "Why I always liked it. It was always good for just...gettin' away."

Beth vaguely remembered him saying something similar the night of the wedding – that he would come here to get away from everything. At first she wondered why a little boy would need a place like this, what troubles of the world could he possibly need to escape from. Looking back on it now, and knowing so much more about the man beside her and his past, she felt a little ashamed for thinking so callously about him. If she'd had a childhood half as brutal as Daryl had lived through... "I'm glad you had a place like this." She reached over and placed her hand over his. Her thoughts started to get away from her, and tears began to prick her eyes. She imagined a little boy, much like Jeremy, practically alone in the world except for a horrible excuse for a father. Her heart, her soul, wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in her arms, in her love, wanting to take all the hurt away.

_This man...this wonderful man._

"C'mon," his voice broke through her thoughts. She expected him to hop off the tailgate, but instead he scooted in the opposite direction, towards the cab, and she followed suit. He ended up leaning against the tool box. When she got closer, he reached out and guided her to sit between his legs, now sprawled out in front of him. She cozied up to him until she was sure she could feel his heart beating against her back. His arms wound around her waist, and her hands landed to rest over his.

"So...how did you find it?" She turned to look at Daryl and saw a look of confusion. "The pond. How did this become your special place?"

Daryl nodded in understanding, but took a moment to begin explaining. "It's on our land...well...it was my grampa's land. Doubt Merle or...or my dad even knew about it, but grampa would take me out here, try an' teach me how to fish...not that there's anything worth catching in there anyway." He pointed off to his right. "Through the woods a couple miles that way is the sh...the place I grew up in, after grampa was gone and ma..." he trailed off. "Well, ma and the house were gone, so my dad moved us to this little shack. Merle didn't stay long after that. Dad was always either too drunk to remember this place or to try and follow me, so I came here...a lot." A look of sadness crossed his features. Beth didn't want to press for any more details, figuring she could fill in most of the blanks on her own, so she respected his privacy and let the topic drop.

Neither of them spoke, both just enjoying the sounds around them. He pulled his hands from beneath hers and trailed his fingertips along her arms, leaving a rash of goosebumps in their wake despite the warm and humid Georgia air surrounding them. She relaxed further in his arms, letting her head rest on one of his broad shoulders. "Thank you for bringing me here," she whispered, realizing just how important it was for him to share this with her.

"'M glad you came," he replied.

"Well, it's not like I had much of a choice," she joked, tilting her head to look up at him. He lightly pinched her arm in response, drawing out a sharp "Ow!" for his trouble.

He grinned when she looked up at him and gave him a frown, then dropped his lips to hers, kissing it away. She returned the kiss, soft and sweet, lips just barely moving against each other. Her chin had long become desensitized to the scruff growing on his face, so when he slanted his lips against hers, deepening the kiss, she only moaned at the sensation, realizing she'd been missing it all week.

Amid all the wonderful feelings flooding through her was a tiny drop of disappointment that they lived so far away from each other. These little once a week get-togethers were just not cutting it anymore. She longed for a time where they could spend every day with each other, but knew such a thing couldn't happen at least until after she graduated. God-willing she'd be able to find a teaching job closer to home so she could see not only Daryl, but Jeremy, and her own family, she remembered with a twinge of guilt. But really, who was she kidding? She would graduate in the middle of the school year. The chances of her finding a decent teaching job were slim to none. The best she could hope for was to become a substitute teacher, at least for the semester, to gain some experience and hopefully get called enough to be able to pay all her bills...which would soon include her student loans.

Daryl pulled away and looked down at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He just kept his eyes on hers, as if looking for a different answer. "You just seem kinda distant all a sudden. Something on your mind?"

Beth reached up and kissed him, smiling against his lips before settling back down in his lap. "Just thinking. Mostly about how I don't wanna have to leave."

"You work tomorrow?"

She nodded forlornly. "Yeah. I open the next two days. And the custard's gotta be freshly made and ready to go when the doors open," she explained, adding mock enthusiasm at the end, then sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, it means I should probably leave soon. Still have to drive back tonight."

"Not too sure I like you drivin' this late at night," he grumbled as he tightened his hold on her.

Beth grinned up at him, "Daryl. Really? It's maybe 8:30. I'll be fine."

"Fine until some drunk runs you off the road," he countered.

"A drunk on the highway at 8:30? That's a pretty early drunk," she shot back.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Drunks all times of the day. Just ask Merle." This time it was his turn to shout "Ow!" when Beth pinched him.

"Be nice to your brother," she scolded.

"Okay, mom."

"Oh, that is _it!_" she growled at him and turned to face him completely. Instead of attacking him with a pinch, her slim arms and long fingers wriggled their way under his customary vest and tickled along his sides. She laughed as he jerked and struggled to get away then moved to straddle his lap to prevent him from doing so.

"Dammit, Greene! You're asking for it," he rumbled. He surprised her by wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close and ultimately pinning her arms to her sides. She shrieked in surprise, which he silenced with a kiss.

He kissed her soundly, passionately, and showed no sign of stopping. Beth was helpless but to melt into him, bringing her hands from his sides, out of his grip, and over his shoulders. Their bodies were flush up against each other, not a hair's breadth separating them. Just when Beth thought her lungs would explode due to lack of oxygen, Daryl pulled away, leaving her to gasp in a breath.

He continued his own form of attack on her neck, just under her jawline, leaving a string of open mouthed kisses and nibbles from just below her ear down to her clavicle. He made his way back up and ended up sucking her ear lobe, gripping it gently between his teeth before applying just the right amount of suction to make Beth moan at the sensation. He teased the shell of her ear with the very tip of his tongue then ran the edge of his teeth along the outer rim, causing even more goosebumps to form.

"Daryl...oh my god, Daryl," she breathed, unable to come up with anything more.

"You gonna play nice?" he growled in her ear.

She grinned against him, "Oh, this is playing nice?"

"No," he grinned back, "but this is." With that he gently cupped her face in both his hands and brought her lips to meet his in another soft and sweet kiss. His tongue swept over the seam of her lips, which she immediately parted. Their tongues met in the middle, tasting and teasing each other. Eventually, their sighs and moans drowned out the sounds emanating from around the pond, leaving them in their own little world.

Beth shifted against him, seeking his warmth despite the summer air around them. A slight breeze had picked up, not necessarily cooling anything off, but just the movement of air gave her a chill that was definitely not Daryl-induced. They moved together, hands trailing up and down each other's backs; his landing on her ass, hers ending up in his hair.

Time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once; Beth had no idea what time it was, and while she knew she needed to leave soon to get back to her apartment at a reasonable hour, she hated to break this wonderful connection they had once again forged together. She promised herself, _Just a little longer,_ swearing that the next time they broke for air (or to give their tongues a rest) she would insist on them leaving.

At first she just ignored it. Sometimes, when it got real muggy, she could swear she felt drops land on her skin; her father would always tell her it was just the humidity in the air. So when she felt the first few drops, she figuratively brushed them off, not giving them a second thought.

Then she started feeling more and more little drops on her arms and the top of her head. She pulled away from Daryl and frowned at the sky, only then realizing there was very little sky to see, what with the cover of the trees around them and the clouds rolling in. A strong breeze brushed past them, sending a shiver down her spine. "Daryl," she tried to warn, but he was too busy nuzzling her neck to notice.

"Daryl," she tried again, feebly pushing back on his shoulders to get more space between them. "I think it's starting to rain."

He continued kissing along the column of her throat, inching his way lower to discover how much skin was readily exposed by her blouse already. "Relax, sweetheart. This deep in the woods, we'll hardly feel nothin'." Beth supposed he would know what he was talking about and let herself relax in his embrace again.

That is until she felt several drops land on her all at once. He must have felt them too, because he had an answer before she could say anything. "Just a squirrel jumpin' on branches to get to his nest. We're fine."

At this point, Beth was starting to doubt just how right he was. Still, those little interruptions weren't technically the reason she gave herself to get up and leave, so, despite her better judgement, she ducked her head and kissed him.

Earlier, she couldn't hear the frogs, metaphorically, over their own sweet noises; now, however, she couldn't hear them at all...or any crickets...or birds. What she did hear was the _ping ping ping_ of raindrops hitting the metal body of the truck. At least, she could until it was all swallowed up by a roll of thunder, thick and rumbling.

"Daryl Dixon, I told you. It's about to open up and storm right over us. We need to go," she demanded, pushing herself off his lap, waiting not too patiently for him to get up and let them back into the cab of the truck. She stood there, realizing her side was still locked since she had crawled out on Daryl's side when they first arrived. The longer she waited, the more the rain picked up, and the wetter she became. She thought she heard his door open and close, and there she still stood, still locked out...still getting wet. Finally he leaned over the bench seat to unlock her door and allow her to get inside and try to dry off a little.

"Sorry, Buttercup. Didn't realize."

"Why is it that every time I'm with you, I seem to get wet?" Beth wondered out loud. Daryl snickered next to her. She snapped her eyes over to him, her angry glare cutting him off before he could retort. "Oh, shut up," she stuck out her tongue.

"I'm sorry! Thought your side was open already," he apologized through his smirk.

Beth narrowed her eyes at him, "And when I told you it was raining...more than once?"

He just shrugged. "Didn't realize how right you were?" he asked as if he was trying to win back some brownie points. "Not like it was a cold rain or nothin'. Just a warm summer rain, cuttin' the humidity outta the air."

"Still," she grumbled, "I have to drive home in this." She pulled her shirt away from her skin and started wringing out whatever excess moisture she could, then fanned the bottom, trying to get some air flow to dry it.

"Well...you don't _have_ to," he countered. Her eyes met his again, and saw that little twinkle in them again, but he didn't add anything to his comment. "C'mon, hon, let's get ya outta those clothes," he winked at her then started the engine and carefully pulled out onto the muddy lane that lead them back to the highway.

Once they returned to Merle and Carol's house, Daryl led Beth inside and downstairs to his basement of a room. "Daryl, I can't stay the night. Can not. Dawn and Gorman are counting on me to open, and I'm already kind of on their shit list for switching shifts with Noah..."

"Well, alright, damn. Ya don't gotta rub it in," Daryl cut her off.

She suddenly noticed that he hadn't led her to his bed, like she'd expected, but instead walked right past it to his chest of drawers. He pulled one open and rifled down to the bottom of the pile of t-shirts there, finally deciding on one and pulling it out to present it to her.

"Figured you'd want one with the sleeves still attached," he said as he unfolded it and held it out for her to take. "Can't do much about yer jeans unless you wanna go runnin' around in a pair of my drawers."

Beth blushed and shook her head. "It's okay. I think I'll survive. Thank you, Daryl," she said softly and began changing out of her wet shirt and into his dry one.

"Here...can I help?" he asked sheepishly then stepped closer to her and began playing with the bottom hem of her blouse. He slowly peeled the wet fabric from her, up and over her head, leaving her torso covered in only her bra and goosebumps.

Beth shivered, though she was unsure if it was because of the chill from the rain or the look Daryl was giving her just then. He must have noticed, for he took another step in and wrapped his arms around her, his large hands running up and down her back, trying to create enough friction to warm her up. Once he was apparently satisfied with his progress, he released her, only slightly. "Better?"

She could only nod, her mind suddenly too busy to come up with a response; it was currently taken up in a war against her heart and body, both of which were screaming to stay right where she was, in his arms, in his room, so close to his bed, rather than drag herself away for some crappy job. She knew if she were to kiss him now, there'd be little chance of her leaving, and, crappy as the job was, she hated the thought of disappointing her bosses, even if one of them was a creep like Gorman.

Luckily for her (or unluckily, depending on how she wanted to look at it), Daryl made her mind up for her and leaned down and kissed her. It was one of those kisses that sent a glowing warmth all the way down to her toes, which of course curled accordingly. Daryl kept the kiss sweet and soft, just this side of turning more passionate, more intense. He pulled back a fraction of an inch and whispered against her lips, "You sure you gotta leave tonight?"

Beth sighed heavily and nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure. It was one thing to spend the night when I just had to drive to mom and dad's the next morning, but not when I've got an hour drive home, get ready for work, and head back out. I know I wouldn't oversleep," she grinned and looked over at the stereo system , remembering just how loud Daryl kept his morning alarm, "but I'd just feel better driving tonight."

Daryl shook his head, "Even with this storm? It heads north, and you're driving with it the whole way."

"I'll be fine," she tried reassuring him. "And I'll call as soon as I get in my parking spot. Won't even wait to get inside my apartment." She made a cross over her heart, marking her promise.

"Guess I can't keep you here without tying you up." He took half a step back but still kept his hands on her waist. "Although..." he trailed off and grinned at her.

"Oh, get real," she scoffed and shrugged into his t-shirt. As she adjusted it to fit her better, she noticed it smelled just like him, only fainter. _Oh, I'll be keeping this for a while,_ she thought. "Okay. You gonna walk me out?"

Daryl nodded and led her back upstairs, stopping in the hall closet to grab an oversized umbrella before opening the front door for her. They huddled under its canopy and avoided puddles as best they could to get to her car. Once she had her door open, she turned to face Daryl, looking like he was trying to hide how sad he was that he couldn't talk her into staying. "I'll call you in about an hour, okay? If it gets to be an hour and a half, start looking for me."

"Don't joke," he mumbled then placed his free hand on her cheek, drawing her in for a kiss. "You best drive careful. Let the idiots pass you, drunk or not."

Oh, how she wanted to respond with a 'okay, dad,' like he'd called her mom earlier, but she bit her tongue and just nodded and reached up on her tiptoes for one more kiss before whispering, "I love you. See you...sometime."

He nodded again and told her he loved her back. After crawling into her driver's seat, she waved at him through the window and buckled her seatbelt. She gave him a thumbs up, trying to show that she was indeed going to drive carefully, then blew a kiss up at him and pulled slowly away. She had to force herself to focus on looking out the windshield and not the rearview mirror, where he was surely still standing in the middle of the street under the umbrella.

After her shift on Saturday, Beth had a text message waiting for her from Daryl asking her to call when she had a chance. She couldn't imagine what he could have thought of after their conversation the night before.

As promised, she'd called him from the parking spot at her apartment. Thankfully, the storm had decided to head east rather than follow her north. Nonetheless, he sounded incredibly relieved to hear that she'd made it, safe and sound. They continued talking while she got herself a snack, changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth and hair.

In fact, even after she'd crawled into her bed and had her phone plugged into the charger, they talked for at least another hour. They only hung up when they were both starting to fall asleep, though neither could bring themselves to hang up on the other. It was the longest conversation she'd ever had with him, and the most she'd ever heard him talk.

And so, when he picked up after the first ring, Beth knew something was up. "Hi, Buttercup," he answered.

"Hi. What's up?"

"Just real quick, what time you get off work tomorrow?" he asked, excitement ringing in his voice.

Beth smiled at his enthusiasm, "I'm supposed to be done at three, but if my relief is running late, I have to stay."

"Alright," he answered, his voice losing a little of its eagerness. "You mind havin' a couple visitors after work?"

"A couple? Who, might I ask, is coming?"

"Me and Jeremy," he said, sounding excited again.

"Yeah, sure," Beth answered. "What's the occasion?"

"You'll find out. Wanna keep it a surprise. Hey, I gotta get some stuff goin'. Start thinkin' of where ya wanna go, alright?"

"Oh...okay. What are you..."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Buttercup. And I mean it. Anywhere you wanna go."

Beth was thoroughly confused and not a little intrigued. "Alright. Bye, Daryl. Love you!"

"Love you, too, Buttercup. Bye."

**Any guesses? Thanks for reading and please review!**


	17. Adding

Time seemed to slow down as the end of Beth's shift drew near. It became increasingly difficult to be friendly to her customers while she was already so impatient with the clock. She tried her best to focus on doing a good job, that it wasn't these people's fault; in fact, the busier she stayed, the harder it was to get a glance at the clock and bite back yet another sigh of disappointment when she found its hands had barely moved.

She still had fifteen minutes to go when, lo and behold, Daryl and Jeremy were filling her window. "Well, good afternoon, gentlemen," she said with a wide smile. "How may I help you today?"

Jeremy piped up first, apparently having thought long and hard about his decision while waiting in line. "Can I get a Bodacious concrete?" he asked.

"Ooh, a chocolate lover," Beth grinned. "A man after my own heart." She looked up at Daryl, "And for you sir?"

Daryl leaned in closer to the order window and murmured, "Surprise me." Beth could only grin, feeling like a timid school girl who'd just been greeted by the star quarterback.

"Right away," she said with a giggle as she began to work on their orders. For Daryl, she made a hot fudge sundae, much like the one they'd had back at his garage when she surprised him that day. This time, however, she added chunks of brownies, which happened to be the special of the week. She left the container on the counter, planning on adding brownies to Jeremy's concrete even though they weren't technically in the list of ingredients. Beth was reaching for the spoons for the desserts when Gorman came up and began speaking in his oily slick tone.

"Now, Miss Beth, you know that's not where I like it." She looked up at him, trying to hide her nervousness with her confusion. "The brownie bits. They belong on the bottom shelf where it's better refrigerated."

She nodded. "Yes, I know, but I just figured since they were part of the special, I'd leave them out here rather than having to keep bending to the bottom shelf every time I needed them," she defended herself.

He narrowed his eyes and gave her an evil looking smirk. "Mmm, but like I said," he said as he leaned closer to her, "that's not how I like it." He straightened up marginally, "Why, leave them out and they're bound to dry out. We don't want our customers to get brownies that have gone dry, do we?" Again another step closer, "We like 'em all kinds of moist. Good enough to really sink your teeth into."

Beth tried not to roll her eyes at him, hiding her disdain for the man, and snapped the lid back on the container and returned it to its place on the bottom shelf. When she stood back up, Gorman was still standing there, and she noticed his eyes were coming up to meet hers. _God, is he trying to check out my ass?_ she thought, fighting a wave of nausea.

He grinned lecherously at her then looked down at what she'd been preparing for Jeremy and Daryl. "Since when do we put brownie bits in a Bodacious, Miss Beth?"

Every time he said her name, her skin began to crawl; the goosebumps that now covered her arms and the back of her neck were most certainly not caused by the fact that she basically worked in a freezer. "He asked for them extra," she lied quickly, mostly just wanting to get him away from her.

Gorman still loomed over her, mulling over her words. "Well, you just be sure to charge for the extra toppings. Don't wanna be givin' anything away for free now, do we?" he said as he licked his lips. "That is, unless _you_ plan on payin' for it somehow," he added suggestively.

Not able to formulate any words, and being thoroughly creeped out, Beth snapped her mouth shut and stuck the spoons in each cup to bring the ice cream to the order window. She handed Jeremy's concrete to him, earning her a toothy grin from the little boy. Daryl, however, did not look happy.

"The hell was that?" he asked, motioning to Gorman, who was now slinking back into his office.

Beth looked over her shoulder, making sure he was out of ear shot, but still kept her voice down when she spoke. "That's Gorman. I'm pretty sure he's harmless, he just gives me the creeps."

"Guy needs to watch himself," Daryl growled. Beth had never heard his voice sound so threatening. After a moment, he met Beth's eyes again, all signs of anger gone. "You gonna be done here soon?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Noah just showed up. He's got next shift."

Daryl gave her his customary smirk, "Good. I just need two more things."

"Oh?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "And what would those be?"

"Whatever kinda sundae you would like, and for you to hurry up and clock out."

Beth frowned a little, "What I would like? Aren't we going for dinner soon?" Realization dawned on her suddenly. "Hey! Aren't these going to ruin your appetite?"

"They're for after. Was hopin' we could keep 'em in your freezer for later," he said, almost shyly.

She laughed at that. "Of course. Give me those back. I'll put lids on them and put them all in a bag. Then just let me finish up and I'll be right out."

Minutes later, Daryl and Jeremy were following her car in the pickup truck to her apartment. Daryl made sure Jeremy wiped his feet well before entering, and Beth couldn't help but smile at that. "You two make yourselves at home," she said as she put their desserts in her freezer. "I wanna change real quick." She dashed into her room, pulling out the sundress and jacket she had picked out earlier, then quickly brushed her hair and braided it before returning to the living room.

Father and son were sitting on her couch, immersed in a quiet conversation, which ended abruptly when she emerged. Daryl stood up, his eyes roaming over her, which Beth could feel almost as a touch. "You look really nice," he said softly, tapping Jeremy's shoulder to get him to stand up. Beth smiled, her heart warming at the thought of Daryl teaching his son to be such a gentleman. "So where are we going?" he asked her.

"Well," Beth began. She had thought quite a bit about where to go for dinner to hear Daryl's big news. Nowhere that was too noisy, that was for sure, but nothing too romantic since Jeremy would be coming along. She wasn't sure if a ten-year-old boy would want Chinese, which would have been her first choice. "Mrs. Shelor, my cooperating teacher, introduced me to this cool little family diner down the street from school. So far, everything I've ever had there is really good. I thought we could go there."

Daryl looked at her, frowning slightly. "You're sure?"

She nodded, "Absolutely." She walked over to grab her purse and turned and waited for the boys to follow her to the door. "Who's driving?" she wondered out loud as she locked her door.

"I will," Daryl volunteered as they descended the stairs. "I remember how tiny your car is. More leg room in the truck," he pointed out with a grin. He walked around to the passenger side and held the door open for both Jeremy and Beth before walking behind the bed of the truck to the driver's side. "Where to?" he looked to Beth for directions. She guided him, turn by turn, until they arrived at their destination.

They were seated right away, and took no time in deciding what to order. Once they'd placed their orders, Beth looked at Daryl excitedly. "So? What's the big news?" Her smile stretched across her face as she awaited his answer.

Daryl shook his head. "Not yet, Buttercup. Not 'til after dinner," he answered.

Beth groaned in disappointment. "Any hint?" she tried, but he only shook his head again, remaining silent. "Jeremy?" she looked to the boy for anything, any ounce of help.

"He won't tell me, either," he replied, sounding just as disappointed as she did.

"Well, it's gotta be good if he sprung for ice cream for dessert, right?" she tried sounding hopeful.

Jeremy shrugged, "That or it's so bad that he needs ice cream to make us feel better."

Beth's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Does he do that a lot?" She felt a little awkward talking about Daryl while he sat there between them, but the smug grin on his face indicated he was enjoying seeing the two of them getting along and talking as if they'd known each other for years.

"Not a lot, I guess. Whenever mom would forget about one of my games or something, he'd always take me out for ice cream afterwards."

If Beth's heart was warm from before, it absolutely melted in her chest now. "That must have been hard," she offered, but he only shrugged again in response.

The three of them eventually fell into easy conversation, with Beth making sure to steer clear of mentioning anything regarding family too much. She didn't want to make Jeremy feel like she was rubbing it in that her family got along well and both her parents were incredibly supportive of her. They talked about school, what his favorite subjects were, how he liked playing football, and he tried to pick her brain on how she managed to beat his favorite Nintendo game. She had just promised to show him all her tricks the next chance she got when their food arrived and they all tucked into their dinners. Both Jeremy and Daryl agreed the food was really good for being such a little, local restaurant.

Beth tried forcing herself to eat slowly, but her plate was cleared before she knew it. She waited patiently, or at least as patiently as she could, for the other two to finish their meals. Daryl had a mischievous look in his eyes, not saying a word until all the dishes had been cleared from the table and the waiter had dropped off the check. "Alright, spill it!" she said excitedly. "I can't wait any longer!"

"Aight." He wiped off his mouth with his napkin and made a show of sitting up in his chair. "Well, the garage I've been working at, the owner wants to open up another storefront, expand the business, and told me he was looking for a manager. Said I was the best damn mechanic he'd met - his words - and that the shop would be in good hands with me running it."

"Oh, Daryl, that's wonderful!" Her voice had come out much louder than she'd meant it to in her excitement, and looked around apologetically at the other patrons who were now looking at her.

"Ain't done yet," he continued. "The new storefront is up here, just outside of Atlanta. He said since I already know the area, it'd be easier for us to move up here than for him to uproot his whole family and start over."

"So," Jeremy began softly. "We're moving again?" His voice didn't sound nearly as excited as his father's had.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. You'll be going back to your old school, be back with your old friends again," he tried placating his son.

"But what about my new friends? What about football?" Beth stayed quiet as the two started to work out the details of this new step in their lives.

"Your new friends will only be an hour away, so we can come down and visit on weekends once your season is over. As for football," he turned in his seat to face Jeremy better, "I been talkin' to my buddy Rick. You remember him, and his boy Carl? He said one of his teammates took a hit real hard. He's out for the season, which sucks for him, but that means there's an open spot on the team. Jeremy," he paused for effect. "they moved their kicker to his spot on the roster. Turns out he's a better runner than a kicker. Either way, they need someone bad and they need someone now. Rick already talked to the coach for ya. The spot's yours if you want it."

Jeremy seemed to brighten on the spot. "Okay," he replied, trying not to sound too excited, but the grin on his face belied him. "So when do we move?"

Daryl looked back to Beth. "As soon as we find a place to move into. Boss wants me to take over up here this week, so Merle and Carol will be watchin' over ya until I get home each night. They'll make sure ya get to school and practices, too."

"You're driving up here and back down every day?" Beth interrupted, and he answered with a nod. She was already calculating how early he'd have to leave each morning. As manager, he'd have to be at the shop before it opened and most likely be the last to leave. "Daryl," her voice lowered, letting him know she was absolutely serious. "You can't do that. You'd be at the garage and on the road more than you'd be at home with Jeremy. When would you even have time to look for a place?"

"I...I ain't sayin' it's gonna be easy, but I can't pass this up." He raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Maybe you could help me look for a place. We can set up a couple appointments for Sunday or something."

While she felt beyond excited at the prospect of helping him find a place for him and his son, she knew he'd still have to find some time to go and look at the different places for himself. "I can help, sure. But Daryl," she reached over and placed her hand over his, "That's still gonna be so hard on you...on the both of you." Then she put into the words the idea that had been growing in her heart since she heard Daryl's news. "What if you stayed with me, just until you find a place?" Her heart was racing, thudding wildly in her throat.

"Beth, I can't do that. I can't just leave Jeremy. Even if I only see him right before he goes to bed, I wanna be there with him," he answered.

She nodded, "I understand." A quiet moment went by before she added, "I do have a second bedroom. It's supposed to be an office for me, but it's not like I really use it yet anyway." Daryl went to respond, but she stopped him before he could, "Or if anything, my couch opens up into a futon bed. It might not be as comfortable as an actual bed, but it'd be something. And like I said, it'd just be until you find a place up here."

Daryl sighed and looked back and forth between Beth and Jeremy. The look on the little boy's face said it all: he'd rather stay with his father than be separated from him, even if it was only an hour's drive away. "Are you absolutely sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered, but went on to elaborate. "I know it's a little soon, but I also know how much it would hurt both of you to be apart from each other, and how much it would bother me to know there's something I could do to help."

He looked down at the table in front of him, then up to ask his son, "What do you think?"

It took Jeremy a minute to answer. "I love Merle and Carol, but I wanna be with you, Dad."

Beth smiled, "You know, Jeremy, you're very mature for your age." She fought back the giggle that tried to bubble up when the tips of his ears turned red and his cheeks shone bright red with embarrassment. "So, what's it gonna be, Daryl?"

He moved his hand so it was now holding hers. "When can we move in?"

They returned to her apartment to watch a movie and eat their desserts. It was a little awkward, a little daunting at first, but as the movie went on, the three of them seemed to relax with one another. Daryl sat in the middle on the couch; over the course of the movie, he slid his arm around Beth's shoulders and she took the opportunity to lay her head on his shoulder. It was nice just spending quiet time together, laughing along at the movie. Beth could easily imagine them as a little family of their own, but shook the thought from her mind, not wanting to put the proverbial cart before the horse. Still, she was glad that Jeremy seemed to be enjoying himself.

As much as she wanted to kiss her congratulations to Daryl on his new position as manager, she wasn't about to embarrass anyone with a display of affection. While Jeremy was a smart kid who could probably figure out that Beth and Daryl did more than hug and hold hands, he didn't necessarily need it shoved in his face. When the movie was over, Daryl suggested Jeremy use the bathroom before they began the drive home. As soon as the door clicked shut, he leaned over to pull Beth into his arms and planted a kiss right on her lips. They kept the kiss simple, but the temptation to go further was definitely there. When they heard Jeremy washing his hands, they parted, both with a gleam in their eyes, promising more to come very soon.

The next day, as soon as she got home from school, Beth began deep cleaning her apartment. Not that her place had really gotten all that dirty in the first place, nor did she think either of the Dixon boys (she grinned at that) would really care, but she wanted to be sure to start things off right with this new living arrangement, no matter how long it ended up lasting.

A flock of butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach as she worked. What would Jeremy think of living with her, another woman that wasn't his mother, wasn't related at all? What would he think of his father sharing a bed with her?

_Oh my God. I'm going to be sharing a bed with my boyfriend._

It was true, she'd spent the night with Daryl, and with Zach before him, but never on a semi-permanent basis.

Beth was quiet as she wrapped her head around the fact that she was soon to be living with her boyfriend and his son, even if it was only temporarily. That is until she heard the knock on the door and she was filled with nervous excitement.

Throughout the day, Daryl had been texting her updates. His boss had given him the week to get everything moved and settled, and Daryl, being who he is, was bound and determined to get as much as he could done today to further impress his boss that he was able to take over the shop early. Beth couldn't help but giggle as he vented his frustration with dealing with automated customer service or less-than-friendly or helpful staff members. She had been through it all not long ago and could definitely sympathize. Along with the hassle of transferring everything he needed back up to the Atlanta area, Daryl had the daunting task of getting Jeremy registered at his new school. Even though he was a student in the district only a year ago, they had to fill out all the registration forms, starting from scratch, and of course, everything had to be filled out in person, which meant they would both be moving in with her in a matter of hours, spending the night, and getting an early start so Jeremy wouldn't miss much school.

The tricky part was proof of residence. He obviously didn't have any mail with Beth's address yet, and she wasn't any kind of legal guardian, so he needed a copy of the lease with his name on it with Jeremy listed as an occupant...

...which meant a conversation with her landlord.

Beth braced herself before knocking on his door that afternoon. She knew it was only his business as far as paperwork was concerned, but she couldn't help but be reminded of her father as she spoke to Dale, waiting for him to start judging her and to tell her it wasn't right to live with a man she wasn't married to. She truly felt there was nothing wrong with their living arrangement, that she was doing it to help them out, so father and son could actually see each other rather than being separated.

It turned out that Dale had no qualms about her adding them to the lease. Apparently Dale had introduced himself to Daryl the day she moved in, and he considered him trustworthy and decent enough if he was there with her family helping her get settled. He drew up the new lease, stating he just needed a signed copy once they got moved in.

Beth opened her door with a smile and stood back as they carried their bags in. Daryl stopped and kissed her on the cheek as he entered, then helped Jeremy get his things to the second bedroom. He asked for her help in carrying a small dresser and Jeremy's twin bed up from the truck, which she readily agreed to. One glance at the tiny parking lot had her stopping in her tracks. "Whose truck is that?"

Daryl grinned, "Buddy of mine was selling it. His old lady insisted he trade his pick up for a minivan." He looked at her, "It's nice, though, right?"

She nodded, but then asked, "But, where's your bike?"

"Ain't about to try and balance the kiddo and all our stuff on the back of a bike. I'll haul it up here when I go down for the rest of our stuff. This is just the bare essentials. Clothes and school stuff, ya know?"

Beth nodded in understanding. It made sense; she had enough creature comforts that he didn't need to move every little thing of theirs just yet. She figured the rest would probably wait until the weekend, or maybe even until he found his own place. Something about him moving in just to move out again made her a little sad, but she shook off the feeling and concentrated on helping lift the piece of furniture off the tailgate of his truck.

She'd made dinner already, and there was plenty for the three of them since she still hadn't gotten the hang of just cooking for one yet. When the meal was over, Daryl insisted on doing the dishes up and instructed Jeremy to start unpacking. Beth didn't want to make the boy feel like she was hovering, but she did manage to peek in to check on his progress after a while. "Need any help?" she offered.

"Nah," he answered, still working on putting everything in the drawers.

"Hey," she noticed something and went to sit on his still unmade bed. "I like your bear. I've got one just like it," she said, picking the toy up and setting it in her lap.

He nodded, "Yeah, I know. I was there, helped make it. Dad was clueless what to do."

She giggled at that. "Well, I appreciate it. It's nice to have his long lost brother back with him." She sat quietly while he still worked. After a few moments, she spoke again. "Jeremy, I wanna talk with you." She waited until he stopped what he was doing and came to sit by her on the other end of the bed. "I just wanna say I'm glad I could help you guys, and I'm glad you're living here with me, even if it's just for now. I'm sure moving around can't be easy."

He just shrugged in response, reminding her all too much that he was, in fact, his father's son. She could almost hear Daryl saying, "It is what it is."

She continued, "I want you to know you're welcome here just as much as your daddy is. If you need something, don't worry about asking." He nodded again, so she pressed on to slightly more personal matters. "Jeremy, I hope you know, I care for you and your dad very much, but I'm not trying to replace your mom or anything."

Jeremy stayed quiet at that, and Beth wasn't sure how to take his silence. "Are...are you okay with all this? Do you need to talk about anything?"

"I'm good," he mumbled, clearly not up for much conversation.

"You nervous about being at a new school?" she tried again, but didn't want to push him or make him feel forced to have a conversation.

He shook his head. "I did it last year. It sucks that I have to leave my new friends, though."

"Yeah, I bet it does. But now you're at least closer to your old friends. And I'm sure you can see your new friends on weekends, right?" He nodded, still avoiding making eye contact with her. "You okay?" she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. Just...I dunno."

Her heart went out to the boy, certainly not out of pity, but he just seemed so bummed out. Still, if he wasn't in the mood to talk, she wasn't going to try and force it. "Well, I'll let you get settled. If you need anything, lemme know, okay?"

"Okay," he answered as she got up and started to leave the room. "Hey Beth?" She stopped and turned around. "When are you gonna show me how to beat Mario?"

Beth giggled and smiled broadly at him, "Not tonight. It's a little late to get that going. Tell you what, I have to work tomorrow after school, but I'm free the next evening. We can start then, okay?"

He finally gave her a toothy grin, "Okay!" and went back to moving his clothes from his suitcase to his dresser.

"That was real sweet of you," Daryl's voice came from seemingly nowhere as she headed back into the living room. She found him leaning against the wall just outside of Jeremy's room. "You didn't have to do that."

"Well, I've been promising him for a couple weeks now," Beth responded with a grin.

Daryl shook his head, "Not that. The whole thing with his mom. You didn't have to go and say all that."

"But it's true," she argued. "I'm not trying to be his mom, but I do want him to feel welcome here, whether you end up staying a week or a month or whatever."

He looked down at his shoes before peeking up at her through his eyelashes. "Honestly? That's about more than she did for him. Always too busy at work to pay any real attention to him."

Beth felt a squeeze then a pain cut through her heart. This poor little boy. No wonder he hardly ever spoke. "I still mean every word of it, though."

"I know you do," he whispered before bending down and kissing her. "Part of why I love ya so much. You're too damn sweet."

Before she knew it, it was Jeremy's bed time, which cued Beth and Daryl to start getting ready for bed, too. A new flutter of nerves took over in her belly and her heart as she pulled out her pajamas from her dresser drawer. A tiny part of her wanted to retreat into the bathroom to change, but when she saw Daryl unabashedly pull his shirt over his head, baring his torso to her, only to replace the shirt with a faded tank top, Beth swallowed her timidity and got herself undressed, allowing him to look if he wanted to. He'd already seen this much of her anyway; no reason to be shy about it now. Without a word, she climbed into bed and waited for him to join her. The situation must have registered in Daryl's mind because he stood at the side of her bed as if he was waiting for an invitation to join her. She softly smiled and pulled down the corner of his side of the blanket, silently giving her 'okay' for him to crawl in beside her. Once they were both settled, Beth clicked off the lamp that sat on her side table then curled back to lay her head on Daryl's shoulder.

"G'night, Daryl," she whispered, partially just to keep her voice down so she wouldn't wake up Jeremy, partially because she didn't quite trust her voice just yet.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "G'night Buttercup." He pushed his nose so It brushed against hers, causing her to look up at him again. "You are amazing, you know that? Thank you for letting us stay here."

"Honestly, Daryl," she replied, "what was I supposed to do? If Jeremy had stayed with Carol and Merle while you got everything settled up here, you wouldn't have seen him all week, and I know you two mean too much to each other than to try and separate you when there was something I could do to help." She paused a moment before kissing him softly. "It's not a completely selfless act, you know. Now I get to see you a whole lot more, and that's definitely a good thing for me."

"Oh, you'll see a lot more of me," he teased, pulling her tightly to him, wrapping his arms around her so she was flush up against him. He left a quick trail of kisses along her neck.

She choked back a gasp and began fighting with herself. Her heart didn't want him to stop, but her mind disagreed. "Daryl, wait," she pleaded quietly and waited for him to pull back. Looking him in the eye, she said, "I can't...we shouldn't. Not with Jeremy just down the hall. These walls aren't super thick, and I would just die if I found out he heard us."

"Yeah, alright," he agreed. "But you do realize he's gonna be down the hall no matter where I end up, and I'm not sure I can keep my hands to myself every night." He ran his fingers through her soft blonde hair, then spoke again, a sigh escaping along with the words, "But if you don't want to, I'll back off."

"It's _not_ that I don't want to," she said adamantly. "Just...not right off the bat, okay? You may be used to having a kid living down the hall. It's a little new for me."

Daryl nodded and pulled her in close again. She snuggled right up against him, more than a little happy to be able to fall asleep in the arms of the man she loved so much. "Thank you, Daryl. I love you."

"Love you, too, Beth."

**Thanks for reading – please review!**


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